Music Review: Something More by Ginny Owens

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great lyrics in fun songs

Cons: Take a couple listens to appreciate

The Bottom Line:

Different in style

But still so many great songs

Building a fan base

Ginny Gives Us a Little More Pop on Her Great Second CD

1999 saw the debut of Ginny Owens to the Christian music scene. That project, Without Condition, earned her a Dove Award for Best New Artist of the Year and immediately made me a fan. Three years later, Something More was released. It's just as wonderful as the first.

It did take a little getting used to, however. Ginny's debut was an artful mix of piano, pop, and rhythm and blues. It is still unique to Christian music and really made her stand out. This CD leans more to the pop side of the equation, leaving the r & b behind on several of the tracks. The change was jarring the first few listens, especially since the song with the heaviest pop tricks, like ambient sounds, is the first full song, "With Me." But the more I've listened, the more I've grown to love this release.

Ginny sets the tone with the "Prelude." Instead of being the instrumental piece of hymn fragment I expected, it's a confession from Ginny. In just 10 lines, she sings of her fire to share what she knew about life being dimmed by the struggles of life. So she set out to write some songs to remind her that God is still God….

In probably the best transition, we go straight in to "With Me." This song is the most straight forward when it comes to the theme. It's a simple reminder that God is there on the bad days just as much as on the good ones. This is a pure pop song with some interesting mixing that really makes you sit up and take notice. The drums are rather heavy and are easily heard over the keyboard.

Next up is "Run to You." This is the only song on the disc that Ginny wrote by herself (the rest are co-written). The theme is simple and familiar to Christian music, when life is confusing or hard, turn to God for comfort and support. The song has a poetic flair to it that most songs on this theme don't have. But what really sets it apart is the timing. The song was written in the aftermath of September 11th. That just makes the expression of faith even more powerful.

"I Am" is a fun song. It combines the stories of Moses, David, and Mary to make the point that God is the one who works through us to change the world. It's a very upbeat song with lots of words coming at you quickly and has a pop flair with the slightest hint of r & b.

The first song to really slow things down is the ballad "This Road." While the other songs have had heavy keyboard, this is the first song to truly show Ginny's piano playing ability. Piano is complimented by strings in this tender song that talks about the struggle to accept it when the road of our life leads through struggle.

"Simply Love You" is prayer of rededication to simply love God despite the distraction of the world. It's a fun song. The emphasis is on keyboard. It's upbeat and has a catchy melody I find myself humming quite often.

"All I Want to Do" is along the same theme. This song is much slower and contemplative. It starts a cappella and adds a simple piano accompaniment. The simplicity adds to the power of the prayer.

The CD closes as her first one opened, with a hymn. This time, she chose "Be Still, My Soul." Like that last hymn, the song is almost a cappella with just a hint of instrument behind her vocals.

I'm glad I didn't let my first impression turn me off to this CD. The honest lyrics have once again won me over. The songs encourage and challenge and are fun to listen to. If you'll give Something More a chance, you'll find it really is great.

CD Length: 41:55

Tracks:

1. Prelude

2. With Me

3. Run to You

4. I Am

5. Something More

6. This Road

7. I Know Someone

8. Simply Love You

9. The Hand

10. True Story

11. All I Want to Do

12. Be Still, My Soul