Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

New York singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli's new release sees the Grammy Award winner start where she left off in 2008's three quarters of a million selling 'My Paper Heart' and has succeeded in turning out another album chock full of radio-friendly and highly marketable pop songs. With producer Ian Eskelin once again at the helm, the album kicks off with the quirky ukulele-driven "This Is The Stuff" which deals with the singer's petty frustrations in the light of God's blessings. Battistelli is not afraid to wear her heart of faith on her sleeve and songs like "Constant" and "Good To Know" reflect God's faithfulness and forgiveness without compromise whilst maintaining a pop sensibility that will hopefully see those tracks feature on mainstream playlists across America. Although the overall upbeat tone is fairly relentless, Battistelli chooses to slow things down with the likes of "Angel By Your Side" whilst a duet with Nashville singer/songwriter Dave Barnes on "Emily (It's Love)" adds further variety. Proceedings occasionally stray into bland slow ballad territory with the likes of "Worth It" but cuts like the sublime title track cement the fact that the output from the CCM star continues to go from strength to strength.

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.

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The reigning Female Vocalist of the Year returns with a follow-up to her best-selling debut My Paper Heart.

It’s been a busy couple of years for Francesca, who between touring non-stop, getting married, and having her first child, still found time to write and record her second album. Hundred More Years embodies Francesca’s signature sound fans have come to love while exploring topics of family, friendship and life’s joys and frustrations.