A few months ago, I was asked to review a CD. Doing a music review is something new for me; so I gladly accepted. The album is called “God and a Girl” and the artist is Joy Whitlock. She is a serious believer who brings considerable forethought into each of the fourteen songs that make up this album.
Throughout the album, Whitlock engages in an eclectic array of musical styles. In an interview, she was asked about her style and replied, “I would describe my style as a wide variety. ” At times she dabbles in acoustic sounds similar to Nickel Creek and at others, she sounds more like Evanescence. These sorts of changes can become a distraction for the listener primarily because one doesn’t get a sense of progress throughout the album, but one of experimentation. As Joy continues to produce, we’ll expect a slightly more homogeneous album. But any time you pack 14 songs onto a CD, you’d have to expect a bit more variation.
Whitlock has quite a bit of lyrical ability. Nearly all her songs seem to emphasize the struggle between flesh and faith. But she is not mired in self-pity and remorse. One of my concerns about Christian artists who complain about their sin a lot is that they need to focus equally on God’s grace; Joy certainly does that too.
“Don’t Look Down” is a good example of Whitlock’s best strength: deeply personal lyrics that are universal enough to be meaningful for unbeliever and, when seen through the Biblical verse she gives as its inspiration, Hebrews 12:1-3, it becomes even more understandable and meaningful for the believer:
“Tragedy is half the fight
Are you willing to lose your life
Come on let it bleed
There’s nothing you can hide from me.”
These lyrics are related to the passage:
“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin” (Heb 12:3-4).
As you can tell, the lyrics are much less concrete than the passage upon which they are based; but ever since Jars of Clay, many Christian artists have been highly successful with this multi-layered approach to song-writing. Show everyone something that can make them think; and give Christians something they can really chew on for a while.
At times, it’s quite clear how much she’s been influenced by Jennifer Knapp. In many ways, this album is an homage to Knapp: she speaks freely about her struggles, engages Scripture in her lyrics, and stays musically grounded in folksy acoustic guitar rhythmic patterns. Whitlock has said she wants to play with Knapp one day, even.
As a fan of Knapp, I’m glad another artist has such a high view of her; but I hope Whitlock will continue to branch out in her influences: the eclecticism of this album shows she is still finding herself musically. As strong as this album is with 14 tracks, I believe a more closely refined and tightly linked 9-10 tracks could have packed even more punch. Right now her musical identity needs to catch up with her lyrical intensity. The more exposure she has to the roots of rock, the more she will distinguish herself as an original. Her next album will undoubtedly demonstrate a heightened sense of herself, her relationship with God, and her musical prowess.
“Holding on to Me” and “Beautiful” are my favorites. “Holding,” is especially compelling because her guest bass/drummer combo, Tony Lucido and Ben Phillips, heighten the rhythmic intensity beyond the rest of the songs. “Beautiful” is one of those songs that can get you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and trying to learn the lyrics more quickly so you can sing along with it in your car. Yes, it is sugary sweet…but in such a serious album, this a welcome departure from the norm.
I am encouraged Whitlock has entered the CCM scene. She is a breath of fresh air for those of us who love to hear thought-provoking, spiritual songs of worship.
I’ll leave you with a great excerpt from one of her blogs. This kind of truth mixed with sincere devotion is what makes her a Christian musician worth paying attention to:
Christians are being fed a false hope. A hope that says Christ came to make life easier, to fulfill all our dreams, to give us a good life here on earth. A hope that says if we just turn our lives over to Christ, He will give us our best life now. But upon reading the Bible, one quickly discovers that misleading hope is found nowhere amongst the pages of Scripture. In fact, speaking of “this life now”, look at what 1 Cor. 15:19 says, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men”. Would you like to know what God says our hope is? This verse says it so clearly. There can be absolutely no dispute! Check it out…Titus 2:11-14. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed HOPE-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
I’d love it if in her next album, she takes this “God exists to fulfill all your dreams” deception to task.
We shall see.
Postmortemism 