The House You're Building

iTunes Review

An uncommonly literate singer/songwriter, Audrey Assad delivers a beguiling debut album with The House You’re Building. This Phoenix-based Christian artist’s wistful vocals invite comparisons with Amy Grant and Sara Groves, with a hint of Joni Mitchell’s delicate upper range present as well. An A-list team of co-writers (including Matt Maher. Phil LaRue and Marc Bird) help bring out the accessible side of her folk/pop style while keeping her individuality intact. Tunes like “For Love of You,” “Carry Me,” and the title tune offer an expansive vision of God’s love even as they hint at earthly suffering. Assad favors simmering tempos and accents her piano and acoustic guitar-based sound with electronica textures. Her atmospheric approach works well on contemplative numbers like “Known” and “Breaking Through," and she's especially good at capturing a sense of divine glory through natural imagery, as in “Ought to Be.” “Restless” is noteworthy for its pairing of a modern lyric sensibility with a hymn-like melody. Judging by The House You’re Building, Assad is starting her musical career upon a more-than-solid foundation.