I just had the opportunity of listening to Mark Haven Hoyle's new CD, "Satisfied". Just released in November, this could be a nice Christmas gift for your friends and family, especially if you are looking for upbeat songs that lift up your eyes to God.

As a casual listener, it's an enjoyable CD that's easy to just pop into the CD/MP3 player and lift your mood while driving or whatever. The music style is fun, upbeat, and positive...all the while keeping the lyrical focus on Jesus and His Father.

Tracks like "Lift Up Your Eyes", "Satisfied", "Let Me Introduce You", and "The Goodness of the Lord" are catchy and upbeat and you'll find yourself singing them in your head after the first listen. Then tracks like "Here I Am" and "Your Ways" balance the CD out with more of a slower folk/pop type sound with beautiful melodies and very introspective lyrics with a mature depth that gives a great balance to the fun, more upbeat songs. I also found that these songs seem to get more enjoyable with every listen.

To me, probably the best song on the CD is "Here I Am". The guitar part really demonstrates Mark's strengths as an acoustic guitarist, especially when finger picking in songs with a modern folk/pop feel to them. The guitar part is wonderful to listen to and the vocals are very rich, especially when coupled with the wonderful harmony part sung by Kristen Taylor. The depth of the lyrics is very meaningful to those who desire to draw near God, and it makes a great meditative worship song sung as a prayer to God.

One thing about the CD is that it is sometimes difficult to categorize Mark's sound. It seems to lean most towards a modern folk/country/pop type sound, but it's tough to categorize it in that Mark does achieve a unique sound by mixing it up with some Jamaican & African drum beats and rock style electric guitar parts. Sometimes this makes the CD feel all over the place, and there's a couple of songs that seem to come out of nowhere. And there are some technical choices that I wish were different, like the use of stereo ping-pong delay on the guitar on a couple of songs is disconcerting if you are listening with headphones, but sound OK on a regular stereo; and the use of sermon excerpts on one of the songs I felt did not really add to it, but these are valid artistic choices made in recording arrangement.

With 14 songs, this CD is packed with songs that will lift your spirit, and is well worth the $7.00USD price tag (includes shipping). I believe it's important to support Christian artists, and definitely so if you enjoy any of the songs on the CD after listening on line. It will be a nice addition to your CD collection or as a gift. Especially when you need your thoughts directed upward towards God and away from day to day life.

There is no doubt that the anchor of the CD is Mark's relationship with Jesus. Jesus is at the center of every song, and it seems clear that the central theme of the CD is that if you keep Jesus at the center of your life, it will definitely leave you "Satisfied".

Editor's note: The author did not receive any compensation for this review, but did receive a CD in order to review it.