Reviewed by Tim Holden

The latest Nashville-based singer/songwriter pitching for Christian radio success, Karyn, though she shows influences from such diverse talents as Sandi Patty and Amy Grant, manages to find a sound of her own. It's built round her smooth, almost vulnerable, vocals delivering strong lyrics that are firmly anchored in her faith. It is obvious that Karyn writes from a real experience of God; from the opening "Call" that looks at the need to call on God "when your faith is broken and you're on your knees again" to lead single "Rest In The Hope", inspired by her father's battle with cancer, there is a real depth and understanding here. This is coupled with some great arrangements, production and musical styles to create an album that delights the ear and the soul in equal measures. Karyn is equally at home with the Coldplay style pop found in "Possible" as the pared back piano and strings of the ballad "This Is Freedom". A great album that more than fulfils Billboard magazine's inclusion of Karyn in their Best Bets Of 2012.

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