Reviewed by Dancin' Dave Derbyshire

In 'Waking Up' Bethany Dillon - fresh faced and just turned 18 - displays her rich vocals with a soft raspy voice fairly well. A minor drawback though is Bethany's audible breathing which for me was a little distracting. Nevertheless her songs are expressively delivered and accompanied by some solid acoustic guitar and other wonderful additional instruments. But it is the lyrics that really make this album worth getting. Many of the songs are inspired by her recent mission trip to India. For instance, "Beggar's Heart" shows that she is re-evaluating her lifestyle in response to seeing such poverty. She writes as if she has far more experience of life than you would expect from a small town Ohio girl who is just beginning to see the world. This is shown well in the "The Kingdom" - a song inspired by the experience of her cousin losing two babies within days of their birth. And I could hear the Sara Groves influence in her honest vulnerability as she wrestles with guilt in songs such as "Change". Bethany Dillon is clearly developing as a top rate songstress and I get the feeling that there are still greater lyrics to come from this lady.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.