Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Hailing from the foothills of West Virginia, Holly moved to Cincinnati in her late teens, where she toured widely with the band Blessed Union, her 2009 indie release, 'Redemption Road' landing her airing on the likes of MTV. Relocating to Nashville, Ms Spears raised the money to start her own music label, Girl On A Mission Music LLC, on which she released this 12-track recording. Produced by Mitch Dane (Jars Of Clay, Bebo Norman) at Nashville's famed Sputnik Sound studio, 'Heartache To Hope' features vocal, bass, keyboard and mastering support from the members of Jars Of Clay. The self-penned songs tell stories of the various ups and downs in the singer's life, the downs evident in both the lyrics and titles of cuts like "Beautiful Mess" and "Hard To Carry". The tempos varies from track to track, but throughout it's Holly's appealing vocals are ever the hallmark. Some very tasty pop melodies on offer here - a highlight being the bright 'n' breezy "Looking For You" - although I do question whether her sound is distinct enough from a number of other Christian pop singers to make a big splash.

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