Tree63 strips down to rock basics on 2007’s Sunday! Since its emergence in the late ‘90s, the South African trio has made common cause with contemporary worship music without fully embracing its conventions. Sunday! trades in a sound reminiscent of early ‘80s New Wave, with the Police and early U2 being particular reference points. Jittery rhythms and anxious vocals lend urgency to “Becoming,” “There is a Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken,” and similar tracks. The trio cranks up the guitars for “Not as This World” and cools out for the smoothly-gliding “Walking Home with You.” As a lead vocalist, John Ellis delivers his testimonies with hints of street-smart humor and nervous joy. Lyrically, the band displays both a sense of wonder (“Foolishness”) and a social conscience (“Sunday”). The nature of faith is depicted from the viewpoint of the Savior (“Walking Home with You”) and the believer (“Almighty Silence”). Sunday! sticks to what Tree63 does best and the album is a welcome antidote to overly-inflated Christian pop, rocking cleanly and testifying credibly throughout.