Ginny Owens' third album Beautiful breaks no new ground, will not turn heads with its inventiveness, or introduce the listener to any stunningly new pop stylings. What Beautiful is, however, is brilliant. A seemingly bewildering contrast I know, so let me explain.
Beautiful succeeds because it is simply and wonderfully listenable, not to mention artistically smart, and gently soothing. Ginny Owens has the voice to make any song sound sublime for sure, but on this record she delivers a stellar vocal performance, both debonair and innocent. A further positive is the largely consistent themes of her style and sound as she mixes in a good variety of soulful tunes and moving ballads. The ever resourceful Monroe Jones oversees the production and his keen touch is all over the album. An all-star assemblage of Nashville's best musicians, including Scott Dente and Matt Stanfield, back Owens' vocals and piano and help create a divine musical landscape.
Owens handles the songwriting chores and pens some strikingly realistic lyrics, particularly for an album aimed squarely at the CCM market. They elaborate on the joy of living as well as the usual themes of faith, hope, and love. What lifts her songwriting above the mundane is the obvious manifestation that she is speaking straight from the heart. Her words come off not as forced, mass produced, or stale, but real and supremely articulated.
This album starts off right with the day-dreamy "Won't That Be Fine" featuring the always winning formula of a trilling B-3 mixing with just the right amount of killer hooks. The blue-eyed soul theme continues with "New Song"--Margaret Becker-produced no less!-- and "I Love the Way" as the hooks and the good vibes keep coming.
Beautiful eventually ventures into ballad territory with "Call Me Beautiful." Owens hits the mark on this tune with reassuring lyrics such as "There's a smile on my face / And a brand new light in my eyes / It's a new day / And I've never felt so alive." Another standout is "To Trust You" which is another example of how a simply written tune from the heart can be so profound.
There is only one quibble I have with Beautiful and that is Owens' attempt at a bluesy feel with "Bread." It falls a bit flat and in many ways does not fit in with the rest of the album.
Albums like this one give me hope for pop music in the CCM arena. Ginny Owens is proof that music can be vulnerable, real, and yet still have the capability to sell records. Beautiful is a rare album that will appeal to a vast audience, but will not alienate the fan base Owens has already established.
Beautiful is being given heavy rotation on my iPod and for good reason. Owens is a true musical rarity and I look forward to her subsequent efforts.
4 tocks
