Reviewed by Paul McKay

Izzy, or Isabella when she knows she's in trouble, is the daughter of CCM veteran Crystal Lewis and this marks her first foray into recording her own music. The album begins beautifully with a rousing call of encouragement in the song "More Than Conquerors" as the catchy chorus asks "If God is for me who can be against me?" The uplifting rallying of the record continues with "Jeremiah" with a softer gentler feel and it perfectly captures Izzi's clear vocals. "From Death" is dark and strange but normality is resumed with the Evanescence-infused "Drowning". Think haunting without the Twilight makeup as the singer calls out to Christ to rescue her from struggles she's under. "Crazy" adds an Ibiza-tinged sound to her repertoire but the rest of the album largely chills the listener with a gentle fragility at times akin to Bjork ("Your Eyes") without the big band finale. The closing track brings an industrial feel that makes you feel you're wading through treacle after treading over a sea of glass with the previous numbers. That blemish aside, let's not forget the message the lady is telling. This Montana-based singer has a delicate voice and deep hunger for God. Her words speak of her need for Christ and her complete trust that he'll pull her through whatever she'll face. An intriguing debut.

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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New Artist, Izzi Ray, brings a been-around-the-block sensibility to her self-titles freshman offering. At the age of 15 (incidentally, the same age that her mother, veteran Christian music recording artist Crystal Lewis, began her career), Izzi is one of the staff worship leaders at her church, travels with and accompanies her mum, and has written 9 of the 10 songs on her project.

Her brother, Solomon, co-produced the album, along with Nic Rodriguez (Crystal Lewis, Phil Wickham, Jeremy Camp) in addition to the penning the song From Death. Izzi shows a maturity in her music, both spiritually and musically, that brings to the surface raw truth, sweet reality, and current sound. All in all, a stellar recording paving the way for a bright future.