Christian singer/songwriter Preson Phillips offers a refreshing change from mainstream worship music on his third album, Wrath. The intense, almost desperate quality of the album’s songs recalls the wide-eyed fervor of the early-‘70s Jesus Music artists. Phillips’ voice (tinged with vibrato and rough around the edges) captures the urgency of his testimony, as does his vigorous acoustic guitar work. His lyrics invoke suffering and salvation with hymn-like language that’s both immediate and timeless. On Wrath’s nearly seven-minute opener, “Mournful Things,” Phillips recasts the story of Christ’s crucifixion in the mode of a harrowing Appalachian ballad, setting the passionate tone for the songs that follow. The thunderous attack of “Wandering Soul,” the joyful Celtic strains of “A Love All Excelling,” and the rolling country feel of “It Lives, It Speaks, It Pleads” are united by Bible-based content. As producer, Underoath’s Tim McTague fleshes out the tunes with muscular Southern rock guitar and drums. Wrath is a bold, visceral statement of praise and faith.