Audrey Assad/Heart/Sparrow Records
Audrey Assad's fourth album continues to impress with her passionate, crisp, heart-felt vocals and piano leads. Her sound is similar to that of NATALIE MERCHANT, 10,000 Maniacs, or Paula Cole with the major difference being that the subject matter of all of her music is influenced by her Catholic roots and Protestant beliefs. Lots of piano lead in each song. Best Tracks: 3,4,7, 8, 9. NO FCC.

1. 3:21 - Drum high hat leads this poppy song with nice smooth piano accents. Upbeat/Mid-tempo.
2. 4:44 - Electronic synth keyboard combined with regular piano and simple drum beat. Sounds Christmasy. Mid-Tempo.
3. 3:15 - Synth, Electric guitar and piano. Vocals are very soulful on this track.
4. 3:29 - Starts out with heavy piano. Ballad, but drum drives the upbeat feel. Reinterpretation of classic, "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
5. 4:57 - Starts with drum stick count off, slow, 3/4 time ballad with lots of piano.
6. 4:43 - Piano and vocals only, with several piano solo interludes. Slow and dramatic with a sort of a melancholy sound.
7. 3:40 - Starts with guitar (unlike most of her songs). Christian contemporary sound, poppy, upbeat.
8. 4:22 - Electric grungy guitar tease at first, then song switches back to piano, and nice hand clap sound throughout. Lots of high hat. Guitar comes back in for the chorus.
9. 3:18 - Drumstick count off intro, piano intro. Mary and Martha is the topic of the song. Acoustic guitar plucking. Nice musical interludes. Slow/Med. Nice vocal echoes in the chorus.
10. 5:47 - Vocals start right away with synth piano. Song builds to give the feel of pursuit. Instruments get added gradually. Male vocal BGV with nice harmony.
11. 3:51 - Piano intro. Ballad.
12. 5:45 - Starts out sounding like the cd is skipping, but it's some other effect. Then guitar plucking and synth piano throughout.