Reviewed by Chris Tozer

Natalie Grant is probably no relation to the erstwhile Mrs. Chapman though Brown Bannister who discovered Amy also had a hand in producing this finely polished album which is already attracting s healthy amount of airplay in the States. Those in the industry are predicting a great future for both the singer and this, her first recording venture. Natalie clearly merits attention as she has immense vocal talent and her voice exudes both charm and power in full measure. Among the tracks "Heavenly" stands out as a potential single with its breathy contemporary R&B sound whilst "One Child" is probably the finest ever song about the birth of Christ from a mother's point of view - though it was actually written by two men! Sadly the 17 contributing songwriters couldn't quite maintain such high standards for the entire album. The lyrics are undoubtedly both spiritual and in the current idiom but the tunes were not able to match them in terms of originality. But, to be fair, few debut albums are as impressive as this one. I was amused to note that as much credit space was given over to the image makers - hairdresser, dress designer, make-up artist etc - as to the production team. Yet, underneath all this glitz lies a Christ-centred singer with a message in song for her generation.

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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