Raw is the best way to describe the penetrating guitar riffs and pounding drumbeats that slam your emotions up against the wall with the latest offering from BarlowGirl. With lyrics that rob you of your innocence, the Barlow sisters--Becca, Alyssa and Lauren will rock their way into the hearts of music fans everywhere with their recording of Another Journal Entry.
There have been solo female rock performers who have captured the imagination but in recent years most of the rock bands totally comprised of women have been relegated to the status of contenders and pretenders not ever reaching the heights of their pop counterparts -- until now! BarlowGirl is providing a positive spin on the rock genre in much the same way as sisters Tricia and Melissa Brock of Superchic[k] have done for pop music.
Led by Becca's deep guitar grooves accompanied by Lauren's drumbeats the CD opens with "Grey" a hard as nails missive that takes no prisoners; "I cannot be blind no more / Numb to what I'm living for / Help me stop this compromise that justifies these lies / I need your passion in this life /."
"Let Go" provides a nice segue to the rest of the album. "Grey" reminds us that after we forego compromise we have to trust in God or as the thundering chorus says, "But trust that You'll catch me."
"I Need You To Love Me" lavishes on us rich acoustic guitar melodies and thrusts Alyssa Barlow's gorgeous and softer edged vocals into the forefront. The song provides a timely break from the grinding rock riffs of the earlier songs and prepares us for the beautiful "Porcelain Heart." Becca's notes about this song describe it better than I can, "You don't have to live your life going from person to person to person to make your heart whole. All that will happen is that your heart will get broken, time after time. We think we need these relationships because we are so empty as human beings that we look to others to find self worth. There's a different way. "Porcelain Heart" says that if you have a broken heart, there is healing for you in the Father's perfect love."
The rock ballad "My God's Enough" based on Psalm 73 is sung with the same conviction that I imagine the Psalmist had when he first offered up these words to our Lord. BarlowGirl and their producer Otto Price add enough DJ overtones to this song to keep it from being stereotyped as just another rock ballad. When this song goes for radio adds this is one passage of scripture teens everywhere will have committed to memory.
I could continue to enthuse about other songs on this album but that would take some of the mystery away. If rock music is what pumps the blood through your veins then buy Another Journal Entry, you won't be disappointed. This CD gets five stars from me.
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
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