Bebo Norman jumps back on the music scene with his third release, Myself When I am Real. While this album has selected riveting songs, overall the project lacks the potential that Norman has to rock the Christian music world. While the vocals, guitars, and musicianship are solid, the songwriting on the project is lacking. Norman could have summed up the entire album in a thematic sentence, which goes something like this: "Hi, my name is Bebo Norman and I miss home, I'm looking for true love, and have found that God is mysteriously cool."
The CD's best songs include, "Our Mystery," "Great Light of the World," and "Under the Sun." If this is Norman being real, he must be really boring and not very artistic. Which is not true, because he is a really nice guy and seems to be remotely interesting? CD's are most enjoyable when you can play them nonstop in the car. With Norman's latest release, your pointer finger is constantly being tempted to press the skip button.
It's not to say that all is lost. There are four solid songs on the project, and these can be used for a record company's ploy of a "Best of" release in four years.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Curt McLeyMyself When I am Real seems contrived to such an extent that I have a difficult time listening to it without distraction. As I listen to the songs, recurring visions of teenage girls staring in rapt attention dominate my mind. Facing the stage, hands folded in the classic prayer posture and placed vertically to one side of their face--the young ladies convey a reverence reserved only for the…The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by Josh HurstBebo Norman's first two nationally-distributed albums established him as a rising star in contemporary Christian music, an artist with genuine talent. In fact, some industry experts foresaw Bebo becoming the next Michael W. Smith or, perhaps more accurately, Steven Curtis Chapman. Unfortunately, Norman's third record, Myself When I am Real, finds him just where we left him. He's still poised to…Similar sounding releases
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