Zehnder: Funny Name, Great Music

Zehnder is a band from California that plays an awesome genre-bending acoustic and strings form of rock that is fused to rich, focused lyrics and a steady dose of interpolations from prayers and hymns.  These guys got the ancient-future worship memo.

On their new album, "Going Up?", the band journeys on a path through reggae, hip hop, acoustic, folk, and sundry other "categories." If I had to come up with one of those mandatory music review band comparisons I would say they are a blend of Ra Ra Riot and The Police.  Intriguing, isn’t it?

The lyrics are important to the band and are mixed in a prominent position—always clear—and import a level of contemplation and call to worship:

"The Nicodemus in me can’t believe how

The Nicodemus in me is too long in religious
categories

The Nicodemus in me still runs to the rebel rabbi"

or

"The whole world’s different and yet
it’s all the same

to me and you when we’re gliding past our
fancy idols

We’ve got our own Areopagus poised to jump

on the next new thing"

or

"Lead us on, on promise road,

Faith by night by day journey with us, on promise
road"

Zehnder is a band that moves beyond the dichotomies placed on so much music that is Christian or produced by Christians or we wish invloved some Christians because it has "Christian imagery."  Zehnder plays music they believe in, music that you can listen to while reading a book in a coffeestore or music you can play during a worship gathering.  It’s both, and that’s what makes the album a great listen.