Reviewed by Oscar Hyde

In keeping with the title of this album, Californian songstress JJ Heller wears her heart on her sleeve. Her lyrics reflect her giving nature - whether she's promising on the opening track to catch someone who falls, even if her own heart "turns black and blue", or expressing complete devotion to God in "For You" or "Create In Me", opening herself as a canvas for his paintbrush. Her music is beautifully layered, rolling along on ringing piano chords, chiming guitar and a waterbed of strings, her soft vocals smoothing out the sheets, murmuring positivity, encouragement and heartfelt emotion. None of the songs on this album push these boundaries, but what does it matter when her compositions are already so lovely to listen to? Even when they bounce, as on the title track, it's with a gentle sort of bounce, the way you'd bounce a baby. The version of the album I received featured stripped-back acoustic versions of four of the songs, the better to showcase JJ's light, slight, clear-ringing voice, and the better to communicate her deeply caring heart for both God and people.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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