Following the death of his father, singer/songwriter Matt Maher wrote a series of songs to help him process his grief. His mission? Not merely to express the sadness in his heart, but to echo the love of Jesus to the world. The resulting album, Echoes, grapples with the Christian response to tragedy. Maher brings strong hooks, handclap beats, and U2 atmospherics to songs that include an extrapolation of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Elsewhere, he longs for innocence in “Clean Heart” and confesses God as his refuge and strength in “Your Love Defends Me.”