Jars of Clay: Self titled

I'll open up the floor with an oldie and all-time favorite. I saw Jars of Clay for the very first time about ten years ago, seated literally onstage in a little church in Georgia. I was determined that I hated Christian music at that point in time, but admitted that "the guitar-guy's hand moves really fast. Cool." Pretty big praise for an eighth-grader.
The first album (although the only one not to receive a grammy) the band's best CD by far. It's the pinnacle of acoustic rock - quickstrummed guitar supported by strings, pianos, harmonies, and great songwriting. Highlights are "Worlds Apart" - one of the most deeply layered songs ever written, both in terms of lyrics and instrumentation - and "He" - a heartbreaker written from the perspective of an abused child.
As a friend put it: "There's no one who wouldn't like this kind of music." Agreed.