Back in the dawn of antiquity otherwise known as the 1990s, the first contemporary Christian music supergroup came to be in the presence of the Lost Dogs. Consisting of Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos), Derri Daugherty (The Choir), Mike Roe (The 77s), and Gene Eugene (Adam Again), the quartet set out to explore the assorted threads and textures of Americana, a genre best known for its presentation by The Band. Americana mixed old-time country, acoustic and early electric blues, rural folk, and rock‘n’roll into a whole that celebrated all of its influences while letting none of them prevail at the expense of their counterparts. Americana was and is a niche genre, one designated for artistic exploration in lieu of commercial success. It is a celebration of the pioneer spirit, not the romanticized Hollywood depiction, but rather the real deal born from genuine blood, sweat, and tears.

The Lost Dogs brought humor and impeccable tunesmanship to the genre in addition to an unapologetic faith. The band was, in many ways, the logical successor to Daniel Amos’ early country-laced work, such as 1976’s seminal “Shotgun Angel,” an album still revered by Christian rock fans, created before Taylor and company shifted gears to explore edgy alt-rock.

While the Lost Dogs was a radical turn from the music Messrs. Taylor, Daugherty, Roe, and Eugene were making at the time with their quartet of bands, the music itself was ingrained into each artist’s foundational DNA. The Lost Dogs was a natural outreach, especially as the four musicians grew into middle age with nothing left to prove.

The band was wounded in 2000 when Eugene died in his sleep at age 38. Taylor, Daugherty, and Roe carried on nonetheless, joined by Daugherty’s bandmate from The Choir, Steve Hindalong, partly to honor their departed compatriot and also because they loved the music so much. After a lengthy stretch of inactivity — “Old Angel,” the band’s last non-instrumental album, came out in 2012 — the band has returned for another go-round. “Trick of the Light” is the result, and we are all the better for it.

Eight of the album’s 11 tracks are penned by Taylor, which is fitting. Without diminishing the world-class compositional skills of the Daugherty-Hindalong partnership, who have contributed numerous classic compositions with The Choir, and Roe, who has done the same with The 77s, Taylor has been called a genius so often by his fans that it’s difficult to remember that he is one. In addition to a powerful gift for melody across multiple musical styles, Taylor is a master of lyrics who employs biting wit, keen observational skills of society and the church, and an overriding faith unafraid to plumb the depths of spiritual wisdom. He does not coddle his audience. Taylor challenges his listeners to both deepen their faith and put it into action by serving their fellow man.

A good portion of Taylor’s work, starting in the 1990s, has focused on a proper approach to friends and family passing away. As he commented in my book “God’s Not Dead (And Neither Are We),” first published in 2010:

“Grief is not a sin. To mourn the death of someone we have loved with all our being and now have lost, at least in this life, is simply to be human … I have tried to write songs that essentially give those who mourn permission to do so without feeling they have failed God by their ability to act like jubilant overcomers.”

Taylor’s gifts are on full display throughout “Trick of the Light.” On ‘In the In-Between’ he sings:

Kingdom is coming, the kingdom has come
We’re running a race that we’ve already won
Dying is living and the weak are strong
We gain everything when everything is gone

In the in-between
In the in-between
In the shadow of death
The table is set
Between the already and the not quite yet
In the in-between

Elsewhere, Taylor embraces a bit of well-earned nostalgia befitting a lion in autumn.

I can still see us all
Loadin’ up the van
Travelin’ down the scenic routes and
Hangin’ with the fans
The memories still linger
In the dreams of this old man
And even though I won’t be
I’ll still be in the band

Taylor also directly addresses loss, acknowledging the loss of his former fellow lost dog.

I saw Gene today
Movin’ fast on his feet
Makin’ his way
Through the crowd on the street
Maybe gettin’ back to a Green Room track
Or the one where the horses run in Los Alamitos

Oh no
That can’t be right
All I suppose it was
Was a trick of the light

Musically, “Trick of the Light” showcases an additional flavor to the usual Americana mix, namely sun-kissed Southern California surf pop and roll. The hooks are big; the melodies simple but never clichéd or simplistic. Musicianship is superb throughout, real vocals and instruments worked without artificial enhancement by accomplished masters of their craft.

In the song ‘We Got Here Scared,’ we find these words:

And yes, it’s a blessing to be breathing
When we bleed we know we’re alive

The Lost Dogs are very much alive, and are very much in tune with what it means to be alive in Jesus while missing those who now live in His presence. “Trick of the Light” is a shining example of what can happen when gifted artists pool their talents for a common purpose. If you have been missing real music played by real people with heart and soul, this is one pack of lost dogs well worth chasing down.