Audrey Assad - The House You're Building

Published Wednesday 1st December 2010
Audrey Assad - The House You're Building
Audrey Assad - The House You're Building

STYLE: Pop
RATING 6 6 6 6 6 6
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 95317-17256
LABEL: EMI 5099945707520
FORMAT: CD Album
RELEASE DATE: 2010-08-16
RRP: £12.98


Reviewed by Phil Thomson

This is entertainment with a capital 'E'. Safe to say, Miss Assad won't push you to extremes, either emotionally or creatively. Of course, it is well turned out - word perfect, note perfect - and (and here's the problem) market perfect. No offence, no challenge, no risk, just professionally crafted musical observations in feel-easy settings: "Everything is Yours" (Assad/Wilson), "For Love of You" (Assad/Glover). The voice is assured but relatively expressionless most of the time, making it a technical experience; the lyrics, either arbitrary, convenient "...highway I travel/sand and gravel" - that sort of thing, or convoluted, as in "Pain is a forest we all get lost in/Between branches hope can be so hard to see" ("Carry Me", Assad/LaRue). There are various (confessed) allusions to Gerard Manley Hopkins, St Francis and C S Lewis, but if there is search, angst, fear and pain in her life, we really do not get any sense of it in her delivery. The closest is "Restless" (Assad/Maher), but the lady has precious little emotional range and the song does go on a bit. I blame the fact that almost every song credits Assad and a different co-writer. There is no really owned title that is lived in. It means, no vulnerability, no believability. And that's the key: discernment. Hopefully, Audrey Assad has more to offer. She should let herself go. That's what I'd do with this one.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Product Description

Singer/songwriter Audrey Assad, originally from New Jersey, weaves her captivating voice into a thread of contemplative yet accessible music and lyrics on her upcoming debut release.

A true songbird and songsmith in one, Audrey Assad weaves lyrics that inspire, challenge and encourage with melodies you’ll want to sing over and over again. Audrey’s gifted vocals and songwriting have recently been featured on Matt Maher’s new album and Chris Tomlin’s Christmas album.

Reader Comments

Posted by Dr Graham Stubbs in Crawley @ 23:36 on Jan 9 2012

This is superb cd and look forward to her next album



Posted by Bob in Lumberton @ 05:10 on Oct 22 2011

Just saw her in a live house concert and her vocal performance was the exact opposite of what the reviewer describes here. Her rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Waters reduced people to tears. Don't be put off, this is a very good album.



Posted by Tom in United Kingdom @ 01:59 on May 10 2011

Have just heard this CD for the first time, and feel I MUST concur with Eliz ! Put simply, not only is Audrey worth a 9/10, but I will be setting my 100gb ipod library on regular repeat for some time to come ... nuff said?



Posted by Eliz in St Albans @ 11:36 on Aug 27 2010

This album is beautiful. I fell in love with this woman's voice from the Matt Maher album, fell in love with it all over again listening to Winter Snow on the Chris Tomlin album and have eagerly been awaiting this release. Each track has beautiful lyrics, beautifully constructed melodies. 'Ought to Be' is so sweet and I am looking forward to it being at my wedding - first dance maybe. I would recommend this.



The opinions expressed in the Reader Comments are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms.

Add your comment

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.