Beauty for Ashes

Album Review

Crystal clear is an apt description of Crystal Lewis' voice. She is armed with a terrific voice that is well suited to pop, and this album showcases it well. A good balance was struck between it and the accompaniment, with neither overpowering the other. There is a slight techno feel to this album because of the heavy reliance on programmable synths, but the result is pleasing nonetheless. There are ten tracks on this album with a few that stand out because they stick with you so long after hearing them. The third and seventh tracks are two good examples of this. The third track is titled "People Get Ready — Jesus Is Comin'" and features a very interesting melody in which Lewis seems to be climbing scales to its chorus. It's an upbeat tune and tends to stick around. The seventh track, titled "God's Been Good to Me," was co-written by Lewis and Brian Ray. It's very upbeat and gets the toes tapping; a very suitable piece for a dance. Two tracks are noteworthy for their intriguing sound: "Over Me" which has an Indian sound (not Native American, Asiatic Indian) and the closing song "Healing Oil," which has a pleasing string finish. The lyrics are all focused on spiritual issues, so the overall result is a hearty and uplifting album. ~ Dacia A. Blodgett-Williams, Rovi