Reviewed by Tony Cummings

One of the surprise CCM smashes of 2000 was the self-titled debut by ZOEgirl (in fact it was the most successful debut in Sparrow Records' 25 year history, selling over 300,000). Cynics would say they were slickly marketed at a time when the American Church was crying out for a sanctified version of Britney, et al. But that rather misses the point that just about all teen pop is a stylised musical confection with its musical elements - fulsome harmonies, switched leads, hummable hooks and bright, bubbly production put to songs that merge pop, R&B and dance elements. Here, Chrissy Conway, Kristin Swinford and Alisa Girard make considerable improvement on their debut thanks to some excellent production from Tedd T and catchy songs, some co-written by the girls themselves. Lyrics include biblical takes on dating, self image and personal evangelism while Chrissy Conway's exploration on "Forever 17" of a devastating event in her hometown - the death of a teenager at the hands of a drunk driver - is a moving reflection on the fragility of life. Similarly, Kristin Swinford's "Plain" speaks with empathy to girls brought down by the magazine-model standards of beauty. The R&B bass line on "Nick Of Time" and the Euro dance-tinged "Even If" will both get the feet moving while the pop dance bubbler "Ordinary Day" will sure be a hit on Cross Rhythms radio. Maybe a couple too many ballads but apart from that this is biblical teen pop of high quality.

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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