Natalie Grant's second album is full of her exuberant delight in the fact of
God - His existence and His love for her and all mankind. Her music is
sometimes very pop, sometimes very different. Grant's voice is high and
breathy, adding to the feeling of enthusiasm, as if she were a child out of
breath from running for the joy of running.
Grant's first effort yielded the single I Am Not Alone. This second work is
much stronger - as the title indicates - and finds Grant much more involved
with the songs. She wrote I Love to Praise, and co-authored 5 other songs on
the album. Her entire family is involved with Grant's musical career. Her
husband, Bernie, is the producer of the album.
The more pop sounding songs are What Other Man (complete with ooos,) Keep On
Shining, Such A Wonder, and To Find My Strength.
I Love to Praise, written by Grant, is a lovely piece. In a minor key,
unusual for a praise song, Grant's voice dominates the song. The
accompanying instruments are a bit subdued through the beginning. If this is
an example of Grant's own music, I can only say that I hope she writes more
and more of her own songs.
In the song Whenever You need Somebody, Grant is joined by the group Plus
One. Grant's voice is nicely contrasted by the tenor in Plus One. Their
duet, backed by the other voices in Plus One is one of the highlights of the
album. I would like to see more collaborations by these two.
Don't Wanna Make A Move catches your attention with spoken words at the
opening instead of music. There is static, as of a bad connection on a phone
line, and then the light sounds of a keyboard. As Grant's prayer ends, the
music strengthens with drums loud and prominent. Grant's favorite music
genre is Black Gospel, and her love of that style of music is evident in this
song.
My favorite piece on this album is If The World Lost Its Love. The piece
begins with piano chords, throbbing like a heart beat, with strings added.
The stanzas are quiet, contemplative, but the chorus soars, strong and
valiant, declaiming God's love for a world - even a world with no love left.
In the middle there is a short musical interlude - discordant, out of rhythm
- indicating a world with no love left. But Grant's voice soaring in the
words "if the world lost all its love, His still would shine" brings us back
from that lost world.
Grant has a great web site complete with devotionals to go along with her
music. www.nataliegrant.com.
I expect to hear more from Grant each year.
