Reviewed by Tim Holden

The secular market is a little saturated with edgy, guitar-laden pop at the moment and it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. Washington-based Holly manages it with her second album, "Tapestry", a varied and honest look at how we live life between honouring God and giving in to life's disruptions. The songs don't necessarily try and give answers to some of the dilemmas they explore and show a depth and maturity that would not be expected from most 19 year olds. From the attention catching opener "Undertow" and multi-layered "Surrender" the pace drops a bit with the slow but heartfelt "Take Me As I Am" and "What Is Love" before hitting the straight pop romp of "Come Close". As well as writing or co-writing all the songs, Holly's delivery is always strong and clear whether on the guitar-lead uptempo tracks like "Holding On To You" or on the power ballads like "Psalm 23" and does not get lost in the almost obligatory electronic effects that go with the pop market now. This is an album that grabs attention immediately but will reward further plays - that's if you ever manage to get it back from your 10 year old daughter.

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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Raised on a farm in the small town of Quincy, Washington, Holly Starr is not afraid of hard work. In fact, the farm girl in Holly much prefers the dirt and grime to the glamour of the spotlight.

That’s why she’s still confounded as to how she arrived at this place in life, releasing her second full-length record, Tapestry.