Steven Curtis Chapman has done it once again. Raising the bar to stratospheric heights and surpassing even his own lofty perch (see 1999's brilliant Speechless), Chapman has recorded and released a rich pop masterpiece full of insightful and relevant material in the form of All Things New. While not an artistic or stylistic departure, Chapman has surrounded himself this time with a bevy of outstanding L.A. studio musicians. Given that and co-production duties he shares with the outstanding Brown Banister, Chapman's end product is a lushly textured sound that rides an ebb and flow of drama throughout the release's dozen tracks. The title track alone is one of the best songs and best-sounding songs that Chapman has ever recorded, a mini-epic that highlights Chapman's special power and passionate feel for music. A guitarist (and a fine one at that) by nature, Chapman actually bases many of the tracks here on piano while topping them with a lush, string-filled touch such as on "Angels Wish" and "Big Story." As always, Chapman insists on keeping it real when it comes to where spiritual rubber meets the road. "What Now" reminds Christians that how they care for fellow humanity is how they care for their savior. "Last Day on Earth" is another track bound to challenge listeners to consider how well they are living their faith, especially if they knew today was their last. Chapman pulls no punches on All Things New as he issues a powerful and majestic-sounding call to arms for Christians to love the world around them as they love their God. --Michael Lyttle