Jaci Velasquez has been around for almost ten years now, but only now is she
beginning to find her true place in music. For years the queen of pop in
Latin as well as Christian circles, she has now ventured into the popular
new area of folk/pop. If you're a fan of her pop music of old, you may not
enjoy this album. But many others will find the newfound power of this
Spanish girl in the coming years. Also, this week don't forget to check out
the latest new releases from Nichole Nordeman and Andy Hunter.

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BEAUTY HAS GRACE - JACI VELASQUEZ (2005)
by Hollie Stewart

I sense through Jaci Velasquez's latest offering, Beauty Has Grace, that the
singer has, at long last, found her sound. She first pricked my ears when
she was 16, and what 16-year-old really understands who they are as a human
being, let alone as a musician? Velasquez was thrown into the market and
rose high on the success of ballads like "On My Knees." Besides Rebecca St.
James, Velasquez was one of the few teenage singers to make it big since the
Amy Grant extravaganza. The music industry can be confusing enough for
someone with a bit more of life underneath their belt. But here was a young
girl still on her way up, a girl who started crying when a director wanted
to pin her hair up for the video of "On My Knees."

Fast-forward a decade. Velasquez now boasts a successful Latin career,
romance and marriage, acting experience, and a personal record label (ever
heard of a 25-year-old CEO?) But not all is cherry pie in the sky for this
girl-turned-woman. Battling a quarter-life identity crisis and heavy
depression threw her out of balance. Walking through this valley produced
the music and themes of Beauty Has Grace.

A perfect example of growth is "Something Beautiful." Velasquez dares to ask
questions like "Can I surrender my life to Yours?" Can a ten-year Christian
music veteran ask such a pivotal, albeit obvious, question? Surrender to
Christ is the crux of Christianity. But she admits she wants reality: "When
all is said and done / Let this be real." Those who search for honesty will
face such questions, and every Christian will undergo a similar personal
examination at some stage in their walk. In admitting that "There's
something more to this / The stories I have heard" ("Reason to Believe"),
she not only questions a secular society, but the fundamentals of
Christianity. It's a healthy questioning, for it leads back to the Cross and
solidifies a faith she once perhaps blindly followed.

The strongest asset in this album is the sound itself. Once a pure pop
performer, Velasquez experiments with rock/folk elements in both instruments
and vocal technique. The most amazing part of the record is "When You Hold
Me," a power-ballad that has Velasquez almost screaming the lyrics through
scratchy vocals. Guitars and electronic keys highlight the scratchy,
breathy, almost not-pretty singing. Her voice has a distinct Brit-pop sound,
something never heard (or allowed) on previous records. The climax of the
song actually has her singing-screaming "When you hold me / Put your arms
around me more." I welcome the roughness of the moment.

Velasquez no longer sounds like a solo act; the music stands out enough to
become "The Jaci Velasquez Band." This will probably never happen, and the
instruments remain polished where her vocals do not, but these tracks are
definitely more rock-driven with a tint of blues/jazz. Give her a few more
years and she could be compared with the likes of Ashley Cleveland, Janis
Joplin, and perhaps a touch of CeCe Winans. It's no longer about being the
cute teenage singer with the darling voice. Velasquez has become daring. I
knew it the moment I saw her chopped hair cut. She is choosing to experiment
with the unfamiliar, and grace exists to do this.

Read more about Jaci Velasquez at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/jacivelasquez


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: Simply Nothing - Shawn McDonald
http://cMusicWeb.com/folk/shawnmcdonald/simplynothing.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, MAY 24 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

BRAVE - NICHOLE NORDEMAN
Nichole Nordeman has taken a bit of time off since her last studio release,
Woven And Spun. But with her latest release, Brave, we find much more
lyrical and musical depth which will undoubtedly be one of her best yet.

LIFE - ANDY HUNTER
Ever since the 70-minute dance epic Exodus hit stores in 2002, I've been
dying for something new from Andy Hunter. But Hunter has been busy, from
opening for DJ Tiesto and many others, providing music for parties sponsored
by Microsoft, and much more. Finally we have some new work from him, even if
it's only an "EP". Nobody complains about an EP, though, when the six tracks
span over 40 minutes, right? This PICK OF THE WEEK is a must-hear for Andy
Hunter fans and non-fans alike.

RESOLVE - LAST TUESDAY
Last Tuesday is another punk rock outfit for the Christian realm. Fans of
Number One Gun, Mourning September, Relient K, MxPx, and many more will
enjoy their music.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE LIMITED EDITION - PILLAR
If you already have the Where Do We Go From Here album, is it really worth
buying? No, unless you're a hardcore Pillar fan. The special packaging also
includes a couple remixes, their cover of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2, and
a DVD with the music video of "Bring Me Down" and some behind-the-scenes
footage. If you're a big fan, I suppose you'll have to go buy it again and
give your old one to a friend.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
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Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb