Carolynne Brown - 'Close to You'

Carolynne Brown's CD, Close to You, gives us a fresh and soulful portrayal of Biblical truths from a strong new artist backed by great players.

At first listen I was immediately struck by the rich power of Carolynne Brown's voice - the girl has a Voice. I'm not sure why, but I often tend to check out new CDs for the first time while driving. This way I'm not influenced by the jacket or any promo information first, but by the sheer power of the music itself. And believe me when I tell you, this girl can sing.

I'm not a big pop fan, but she makes me get over it quickly. And there's certainly enough variety within the songs to keep your interest. "Turning Point" really got my hopes up for a blues number with her opening growls, but it's not a bad tune even without the blues. My favorite song is the passionate second track "Pour Out My Heart," backed richly by Loston Harris' keyboard work. The song has a bit of an edge, again getting me over the pop hump. It wasn't until I actually read the CD notes that I realized just how Scriptural these songs were, each one referencing a particular passage and doing it perfectly, mind you. That added a lot to the experience for me. Opener "Close To You," with its classic pop changes, rocks out the awesome truths of Romans 8:38,39 like nobody's business. Brown's voice is soulful on each and every cut and "I Stand" especially adds some very-Nicole Nordeman intelligence and bravery to the mix. And check out "When I Look Into Your Eyes," a perfect piano piece paired nicely with cello. All in all, a superior debut; don't miss it.