Rebecca St. James - I Will Praise You (2011)

Tracklist

01. I Will Praise You
02. You Never Let Go
03. Shine Your Glory Down
04. You Still Amaze Me
05. In a Moment
06. The Kindness of Our God
07. When the Stars Burn Down (Blessings and Honor)
08. Almighty God
09. You Hold Me Now
10. You Make Everything Beautiful


The Australian-born singer made it easy for contemporary Christian fans to fall back in love with her on I Will Praise You, her first offering in six years. The album's lush, upbeat worship pop is a return to form for St. James, the popular singer who ventured out into other prolific side interests, including writing and acting since her last studio album, 2005's If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something. I Will Praise You first and foremost features her voice, a heavenly blend of equal parts powerful and soothing. She is able to effortlessly float between her upper and lower registers amid layers of transcendent guitar and synth that sometimes create dance-pop beats (as on "Shine Your Glory Down" and the title track) but more often than not find her squarely in command of powerful worship ballads like "Almighty God," "When the Stars Burn Down," and "The Kindness of Our God." They are meant to be sung with arms raised and voices shouting along, though the album incorporates a refreshing amount of pop sensibility as well. Though Praise may not be her most daring effort, it's another solid album from one of gospel music's most well-known artists. Jared Johnson

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