No one.

Between The Dreaming And The Coming True manages to be subtle even as Norman delves into Rich Mullins territory, writing songs aimed directly at God, songs which directly address religious concerns. While this album verges on being Norman's first true "worship" album, he attacks the songwriting process by focusing on the darkness, the depressing moments, that lead most people to search for meaning in life. That's something few artists have attempted in the genre; even fewer have pulled it off without creating a depressing album. This goes to show the man's songwriting talent, that he's able to take depressing character sketches and turn them into songs of hope.

A lot of the credit should go to Robert Benson, whose book of the same name clearly inspired Norman to write this album. Benson suffered from bipolar disorder and publicly decried the use of antidepressants to dull the feelings he had -- in his book he wrote of the struggles he endured to write about his depression rather than eliminate it. Norman attempts to do so on this album as well, and though the subjects of his missives are dark and at times depressing, they're uplifting in the hope they instill.

Looking for standout tracks? The entire album, all eleven songs, could find its way to CCM radio stations across the country, because Norman (and songwriting partner Jason Ingram, perhaps best known for his work with Sonicflood and Rebecca St. James) focus as much on pop tunesmithing as they do on creating lyrical depth. That makes for an exceptionally consistent listening experience, and for an album with incredible depth and beauty. Standouts, for those who want to hear a few sample tracks, would include "Time Takes Its Toll On Us," the lead-off single "I Will Lift My Eyes" and "My Eyes Have Seen Holy," which literally brought this generally stoic critic to tears upon first listen. It's Norman's most stunning song, hands down, since Ten Thousand Days's standout "Deeper Still."

Bebo Norman's Between The Dreaming And The Coming True is clearly the best contemporary Christian release of 2006. In fact, no CCM album has so moved me since David Crowder Band's A Collision last winter. It is an album of considerable depth and beauty that stands head-and-shoulders above anything his peers have produced. More than that, it's the finest album Bebo Norman has produced, an incredible feat considering the man's never released a disappointing album. Moreso, it's found its way into my top five releases of 2006 in any genre, and that says a lot. Too bad few outside the CCM world will ever hear it.