One of Christian music’s most engaging personalities, singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Furler has always been able to juggle the silly and the serious in his work. He comes through again on Sun and Shield, his first outing as the leader of a newly formed pop/rock trio. The ex-Newsboys frontman applies both his pointed wit and his instinct for ear-grabbing hooks to songs that run the gamut from playful romantic vignettes (“Right Wrong Girl”) to teasing rebukes of the devil (“Dare I Say”). Together with bassist Dave Ghazarian and drummer Jeff Irizarry, he achieves a lean, punchy sound that shows the influence of both ‘60s British Invasion rock and ‘90s indie pop. “So High,” “The High Road," and the title track surround Furler’s buoyant, Aussie-accented vocals with dynamic arrangements. The God-centered tunes are delivered with a welcome lightness of touch. “Yeshua” (a worshipful duet with singer Myron LeFevre) and “We Won’t Forget” (a dreamily poetic call to prayer) are reflective in approach, while “The Overcomer” offers its words of praise with roaring riffage and a driving beat. Furler serves it all up with a smile that doesn’t obscure the fervency of his faith.