1. Cost Of Being Free
2. Faith Don't Fail
3. Don't Look Down
4. Behind The Scenes
5. Holding On To Me
6. Testify
7. Not Through With You
8. Beautiful
9. Your Face
10. In This Hour
11. Traces Of You
12. Psalms
13. Fake
14. Day Of The Lord
Joy Whitlock has been described by some as folk/indie (whatever that is). She grew up in Mississippi and spent a few years in Illinois as well. She moved to Memphis at the age of 17, and now considers it her home. In 2005 she released her first EP "The Fake EP". Joy has now released her first full length album in the name of "God and a Girl", which has already sparked rave reviews in America.
The album "God and a Girl" starts with the uplifting track "Cost of Being Free", which is a very gentle folk feel but with a... Read More Joy Whitlock has been described by some as folk/indie (whatever that is). She grew up in Mississippi and spent a few years in Illinois as well. She moved to Memphis at the age of 17, and now considers it her home. In 2005 she released her first EP "The Fake EP". Joy has now released her first full length album in the name of "God and a Girl", which has already sparked rave reviews in America.
The album "God and a Girl" starts with the uplifting track "Cost of Being Free", which is a very gentle folk feel but with a more indie guitar feel in the chorus.The opening track is based around the bible verses of Romans 6:1-7. To be fair the whole album has the feeling of Shania Twain and Sheryl Crowe, which can be a good or bad feeling depending on who you are. It seems this album is trying to have a safe American middle of the road sound with some edgy guitar at times to be "different".I for one am not being fooled by this. The album doesn't change much in style during tracks "Faith Don't Fail" & "Don't Look Down".
"God and a Girl" as an album wants to be edgy enough that your daughter will like it,but also "nice" enough that your mother would like it. For example with tracks like "Not through with you" (which I think is more the style Joy would want her album to sound like) is a much younger indie sound but then "Testify" is a very mature clean, soft sound. I'm confused with this album in which direction it wants to go in.
Saying that one track I want to point you towards is the brilliant track "Beautiful" which is an amazing uplifting song and by far the strongest track on the album. The album ends with to dark songs in "Fake" & "Day of The Lord" again two tracks that are very good but don't fit with the previous tracks. Joy Whitlock has a very indie voice which doesn't seem to suit some of the songs on the album, but when the song does fit her voice, everything comes together.
You probably have guessed it, this album has too many mixed styles which lets Joy Whitlock down, was that her decision or a label decision, whoever idea it was, has turned what could have been a good album into a mix match ok album.
Review by Jono Davies
Rating out 3 of 5 Stars Standout Tracks
Beautiful
Day of The Lord
