Louder Than The Music

Stephanie Smith - Not Afraid

Artist:

Stephanie Smith

Title:

Not Afraid

Type:

Album

Released:

23 Dec 2008

LTTM Rating:

Your Rating:

Review

I love this job. I first heard Christian music when a new friend of mine insisted on playing Delirious? records constantly in his car before which I had fallen into the trap of believing Christian music was all cheesy guitars, rainbow straps and sandals. Since this introduction I have searched out many other Christian artists but all were in the same vein which is why I am really enjoying writing these reviews.

Stephanie Smith is another new artist to me and definitely has the potential to be one of the gems of this job. If I had to describe...
Read More I love this job. I first heard Christian music when a new friend of mine insisted on playing Delirious? records constantly in his car before which I had fallen into the trap of believing Christian music was all cheesy guitars, rainbow straps and sandals. Since this introduction I have searched out many other Christian artists but all were in the same vein which is why I am really enjoying writing these reviews.

Stephanie Smith is another new artist to me and definitely has the potential to be one of the gems of this job. If I had to describe it in secular terms, think Ashlee Simpson mixed with a bit of Kelly Clarkson with maybe a bit of Avril attitude (but in a good way).

Beauty kicks off the album with a bang; great melody, awesome beats, maybe a bit of a cheesy girl-power type message but really it's done in a pretty sweet way. Each of the first 4 songs rocks to life in pumping beats and ends loudly closing to silence for a second before the next one kicks in with the same burst of energy as the last. Superstar is the song you want to listen to when life is getting you down, you know like your personal cheer song. There is also a great guitar riff which is not dissimilar from the one in Pink's Feel Good Time but different enough that it took me a good few listens to figure it out.

The album then slows into You Alone where beautiful lyrics are accompanied by a beautiful piano into the making of an epic chorus before pumping it back in with Waiting on You which is a skating rocker song pushing the album back to full throttle.

I really cannot finish this review without mentioning the absolutely stunning First Words. It sits at the end of the album as a bonus track after a minute's silence which is the only bad thing I can say about it. It tells the story of Stephanie's relationship with her estranged father with such sincerity and honesty that you immediately want to listen to it again as soon as it ends. It's the kind of song that you just can't explain; it just has something truly magical about it. This song alone would make this album well worth the purchase.

Review by Suzanne Physick

LTTM Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Stand out tracks
First Words
Waiting On You
You Alone

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Track Listing

Stephanie Smith - Not Afraid

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