Well, well. Look who went and got herself a personality.

I used to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with teenage Christian pop singer Rachael Lampa. Having arrived along with a glut of new teen artists in 2000, Rachael seemed to be the one out of the bunch who had the most lung-busting vocal power, the least pre-fabricated music, and the biggest possibility of attracting a wide age range. Make no mistake - she was a pretty standard inspirational/pop vocalist when she started out at age 15, but I found it interesting that she wasn't committed to being a clone of either Britney Spears or Celine Dion, and that I could listen to her debut record, Live for You, without feeling overly embarrassed for liking it. Heck, there were even a few stylistic touches on a few songs that made them positively transcendent. And yet at the same time, I resented Rachael for getting so popular so quickly, because none of the creative work on that record was her own (and most of the songs weren't terribly creative to begin with). So she kind of got relegated to that pile of singers whose albums I never listen to, but who have 2 or 3 really good songs.

The sophomore album, Kaleidoscope, gave Rachael a bit of a shot in the arm stylistically, adding more of a rock and/or R&B edge to several tracks in an attempt to show some maturity without losing the kids. It kind of worked, but I mostly enjoyed that album as pure ear candy. Given that one of the better tracks on the album featured the chorus "He did it, I get it, and now I'm caught up in it", which may well be the vaguest description of salvation ever committed to record, one could tell this wasn't a very thought-provoking album. And what struck me as a cool experiment the first few times around rapidly started to sound like a lot of needless clutter. Basically it was one of those albums that you'd give a girlfriend to make her feel generic happy thoughts, or that you'd pop in the car and bounce along to without thinking much about it. Rachael co-wrote a few tracks, but co-writing doesn't really help when it just means that it's you writing a bunch of cliches instead of your hired gun songwriting team.

Fittingly, Rachael's 2004 entry is a self-titled record. Like most self-titled records released midway through a performer's career, it seems to be an attempt to reintroduce Rachael as an artist. I say that's a smart move. While Rachael has always had a stunning set of pipes and the ability to stretch out her words into ridiculous numbers of syllables, and while that may be sufficient enough to make her popular in the Christian music world, I don't think it does a lot of good to show off your voice when you have nothing to say that isn't already being said by a million others. Rachael Lampa may be a generally happy, poppy record that doesn't throw its listeners a ton of lyrical curveballs, but since Rachael has co-written ten of the eleven songs and written the other one all by herself, it feels like we're getting more of these sentiments in her words, which I find to be refreshing even when the lyrics are quirky or awkward. (And it doesn't hurt that producer Tommy Sims is a frequent co-writer here.) She's 19 now, and she's starting to find that music is an outlet for her thoughts and her personal experience of God, rather than just a way to convert her fabulous voice into a paycheck. Interestingly, she's expressed the desire to not just be known for her voice, and because of that, she's actually taken a more subtle approach on many of these songs where she could have done her usual thing and brought the house down. I also think that this is a smart move, because it allows the vocals to serve the song, rather than the song being a vehicle for the voice. Pop albums where the actual songs are first priority are a bit of a rarity these days, so I tend to embrace them when I find them.

The really cool thing about this record, though, is how the music ebbs and flows, grooving and meandering through several different styles, allowing Rachael to try them on like outfits. She sounds really good in this sort of a "chameleon" setting, going from rock to urban music to acoustic pop to ska (OK, more like frenetic rock with horns, but whatever), and yet never sacrificing the continuity of the album, because these musical styles are all being used as seasonings while a consistent bed of sophisticated and yet playful music is kept as the base ingredient. I can't tell you whether all of this was Rachael's idea - I'm assuming it couldn't all have been, but none of it sounds forced, either. It's the sound of producers and fellow songwriters taking good care of Rachael rather than forcing her into a trendy mold. In doing so, they've somehow maintained a balance of ear-catching melodic and instrumental goodness that should still work well for her younger audience, while adding a touch of sophistication that will hopefully rope in a more adult audience beyond those who just like the obvious cookie-cutter AC stuff.

Put quite simply, this is a blast of a record. While I wouldn't label it "the perfect pop album", I can't come up with any major nitpicks about it, either. And I'm honestly surprised to hear myself say that about an artist who I honestly thought would never be encouraged to put a whole lot of actual thought into the music she was making. Rachael far exceeded my expectations with this one!

All This Time
I beleive in the helping hand, my fellow man
And the fail-safe "Love Thy Neighbor Plan"
The promise, the creed, the other cheek
So help me, I need to get to You...
A quick smack of the drums starts off one delicious avalanche of a song, one that marries a percussion-driven, slightly off-kilter rock attitude (I say "off-kilter" due to the 7/8 rhythm which seems to always cut itself off in a hurry to get ahead) with more of a laid-back, rhythmic groove. It's part smooth sailing and part maelstrom, and Rachael navigates it beautifully, treating the verses with a soft breathy hush and letting go more fully on the busier interludes. It's hard to tell which section is meant to be the actual "chorus", though there is this repeating line, "It's taken me all this time to see the sun", which becomes a primary melodic theme and ends up as a prolonged vamp for the song, which runs close to seven minutes. Definitely a daring move for an album opener, and fitting, too, because the song is all about how following the rules to a T isn't working out as some sort of a magic formula to make Rachael know everything about God. At her ripe old age of 19, she's learning that there's still an element of mystery which she must embrace in order to know God. That element of mystery is well translated into a maze of drum fills, piano riffs, a guitar solo, and furious strings that defiantly oppose the conventions of how you're supposed to start off a vocal pop album - one which turns out to be one of the most addictive songs of 2004. (Just one question - what the heck is a "fine tooth broom"? My broom doesn't have teeth...)

Rubberhouse
All we have to do is come into a place anew
Where we can blur the lines, elevate our minds
In my head I see a kinda dream a place
Where we can live, move, have our being
Give, take it one step higher...
Alright, alright. I know that this song sounds like Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" (it was recorded before that song had been released), and I know that its title is just begging to have a bad joke made about it. I never claimed that Rachael's lyrical endeavors on this album could be taken 100% seriously in all instances. Rubber houses stretch, I guess, and this is Rachael's vision of a non-exclusive club in which people of all walks of life are welcome. No one expects a song which rhymes "take a break from all the pressure" with "be whatever, whatever, whatever" to be terribly serious. It might as well be the Mickey Mouse Club them song in that respect, but it's still an infectious, urban-flavored jam with confident horn bursts and an unexpected shift in dynamic during the bridge which brings in a racial harmony-endorsing rap break from T-Bone (and when has he ever rapped about anything else?) Definitely a good tune to blast while you're dancing at the rubber club and trying to keep from bouncing off the ceiling.

Outrageous
Run away to your own beat, trip over your own feet
At least you know you might be finding your way
And you're closer than you were back in the day...
Rachael seems to want to get the "fluff" songs out of the way early - this one is also a bit of an urban tune, overpowered by a repetitive, sassy refrain of "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh", but ultimately it has a deeper meaning to it. The groove is a bit lighter here, relying more on rhythm and less on peripheral noise, though there is a funky guitar line that punctuates the chorus, and Tommy Sims apparently had a lot of fun playing with his talkbox on this one too. Rachael likens faith to a dance in this song, and she's encouraging someone who's new at it to not be so worried about getting everything absolutely correct on the first try, and to just step out in confidence and show everyone what she's got, even if she trips up and falls on her face.

No Other One
Whisper the reason when the sun just hides away
How do the seasons know exactly when to change
Who on earth could find a language or a line
Or count the ways to best describe the beauty found in your design?
The sudden downshift in tempo may be a bit jarring, but come on, we all knew it was getting about time for a ballad. Fortunately, Rachael ups the ante here with a delicate but delectable melody, and the song has a bit of a fantasy feel to it with its delicate piano playing and smooth acoustic guitar strumming, so it ventures outside of the parameters of your usual inspirational ballad. The lyrics here are a typical songwriter's struggle to say something descriptive about God and winding up at a loss for words - Rachael realizes that flowery lyrics and romantic metaphors aren't really going to do the trick, and while the song definitely has a lovey-dovey feel to it, it wisely sidesteps painting God as a big cosmic boyfriend like most Christian songs of this nature tend to. The focus is on God's power and limitlessness, not just on how God gives Rachael warm and fuzzy feelings. It becomes apparent that there's something more forceful lurking under the surface when the drums start to get more aggressive at the second chorus, but then the song drops away into a quiet bridge which, without warning, gives way to a loud electric guitar solo with just a hint of hair metal to it. Bwuh? That oughta make fans of comfortable adult contemporary do a double take! It's not a total "rock-out" song or anything, but it's got little bursts of energy in all the right places, and it leads beautifully into the song that follows it.

When I Fall
Somewhere in the silence, I can hear your broken voice
Like a radio station fading out of range
Somewhere in the crowd, from the corner of my eye
I thought that I could feel you walking by...
An airy guitar intro and a U2-inspired bass line introduce a more straight-ahead pop/rock tune that was a good choice for a first single - it appeals to a different crowd that Rachael's usual urban-tinged or AC stuff. By the time Rachael's pretty, subdued verses start to climax and lead into the chorus, the song becomes a burst of energy not unlike one of SonicFlood's better moments, with the electric guitars bursting forward and Rachael confessing her weakness and knowing that when she sins (not if she falls, but when), God will not reject her, but will instead use it to make her strong. Compare this to "I'm All Yours", where Rachael declared "I'm not gonna fall, I'm giving it all to You", and you'll realize that Rachael's done a bit of a reality check since then. We can't promise God that we'll be perfect from now on, but we can deepen our trust in God to mature us through our failings. The song once again pulls off a nice segue into the track after it, erupting in a burst of squiggly studio noise as if a radio station is being changed, and then quickly bursting into another upbeat rhythm.

Being Alive
Do you ever wake up and find that you're the only one
That's standing still, just part of the drill, no big deal
Today is just another thing to get through
And as the day goes passing by, I run down the list of things I meant to try
I meant to fly, I just never got around to it
Party time! In a manner similar to one of No Doubt's less restrained numbers, this song dives in with an energetic drumbeat and blurting horns that make it easy to picture Rachael letting her hair down and jumping around the room like a maniac. She's certainly not in her normal vocal mode when she's blurting out the lyrics to each verse, which kind of spill out quickly in a series of whimsical rhymes about a boring and meaningless life. A lot of the song is hard to understand due to Rachael's enunciation and the overall speed of things, but there's no need for deep analysis here - it's about having something worthwhile to live for. Not one of the record's best lyrical moments, but still a surprising move for Rachael in terms of the music. I love the false ending that kicks back in with nothing but drums, and which eventually leads to the real, abrupt ending.

You Never Know
I try to figure in the time
When miracles should happen to appear
And when it comes down to it
There's nothing more than I can do down here...
A soft but insistent guitar strum kicks off another ballad very suddenly, as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened - man, I love the sly segues on this album! Here we find Rachael musing about her need to control her life, and her selfish expectation that her prayers will be answered the way she expects them to if she behaves like a good girl. The theme is similar to "Shifting Sand" by Caedmon's Call, because we find Rachael humbled by her own inability to be strong and faithful in all circumstances, and grateful that her salvation does not depend on always having perfect faith. This would probably be a typical "pretty" ballad if not for the live drums and some subtle sliding and picking of the electric guitar - it's still beautiful, but the alt-pop feel makes it come alive a little more, even if longtime fans are going to have trouble getting used to hearing Rachael's voice in this more organic context.

The Good Life
Your drama gone, you're light and free
I know I wanna be there when you make your discovery
Yeah, here comes your victory...
Another funky guitar groove kicks off one of the album's more Gospel-inflected songs, which turns out to be a collaboration with "Sacred Steel" player Robert Randolph. This one has the feel of a recording made with a gang of friends, due to the background vocals encouraging, "It's time for the good life!" Rachael seems to be addressing a friend who is on the verge of making a decision to commit his or her life to Christ - Rachael wants to her this person open up and spill out everything that she is feeling, and embrace the joy of it all instead of bottling it up. With all of the horns, bakcground vocals, drums, and so forth, it can seem like Robert Randolph is rather buried in the mix, but he gets in a nice little solo midway through the song, and he and the background singers turn it into a full-on party as it fades out, throwing the listener back to a different era before a sudden burst of electronic bleeps and bloops takes over and we're thrust into another completely different song.

Honest
Why are the days that seem so clear
The ones I started there and somehow ended up over here
My way home is just a long and winding road...
Here, Rachael tries on more of an acoustic pop sound, complete with handclaps and a slide guitar, that reminds me a bit of Joy Williams' last record. While the musical mood and the syncopated beat are definitely on the happy side, there's a hint of frustration to the song, because it describes Rachael's realization that she can't hide from God and try to go it alone. The song represents an exasperated point where one finally opens up and says, "OK, God I'll let You be in charge again". Not a whole lot of depth to the lyrics here, but it's nice to find Rachael being upfront about struggles in her faith, all the while meandering her way through an unpredictable but tasty melody.

The Art
We may never know why we should just let go
But do we really want a God that we can understand?
Still we close our eyes, try to reason why
But since when do our desires dominate the plan?
Those who have had a hankering for more of a quiet, traditional, piano-based ballad like "Blessed" or "No Greater Love" will probably take comfort in the album's second-to-last track, which was written entirely by Rachael. The expected piano and weepy strings are the driving factor here, which admittedly is a bit of a disappointment given the creative musical approaches on almost every other song, but focus in on Rachael's lyrics here, because they can be a bit of a punch to the gut. Listening to this, I'm reminded of Cindy Morgan's slow transformation from pop diva to thoughtful piano-playing songstress on her song "I Will Be Free" (except that Rachael probably isn't playing the piano here, but that's alright). Rachael's taking on pain here and finding it to be a purifying thing instead of something that God just wants to immediately brush away and allow us to ignore. I can't think of the last time when a young pop singer hit me over the head with a revelation like "I know that God will never waste your pain". That implies that pain is useful, which flies in the face of the superficial sentiments of most pop music. Rather than ignoring it, Rachael is encouraging us to learn "the art of living on" - i.e. to look at it creatively and figure out what God may be trying to do in our lives through it.

Room
Now I'm forever in awe these days
Of the way You deal with me
Hard to believe that you can always be
Patiently creating still a better me...
As sleepy as "A Song for You" was on the last album, I rather liked its slow-burning groove. If only those lyrics had been improved... ah well. Rachael closes out her third album with a similarly gentle but groovy track, perhaps a tiny bit more upbeat, and with a little more of a funk underpinning which creates some interesting dynamic changes and chances for her to really let herself go vocally. I think Rachael likes to view God as a house of sorts - the analogy of a physical building has popped up in "Rubber House", and it's also vaguely the theme of her older song "Always Be My Home". Here, she revels in the knowledge that no matter how much stupid stuff she does, God will always make room for her in His house. The song builds slowly over a long period of time, kind of taking the opposite approach to the album's first track, which started strong and wound down slowly - before you know it, there are R&B-tinged background vocals bolstering the meandering melody of the chorus. Listen carefully, and you'll also hear plucked strings and a little bit of Eastern instrumentation - lots of subtle goodies built into this little room. And just when you think the song has finally zig-zagged its way to a close, Rachael breaks in for one last little vamp, completely acapella, in a moment which reminds me of one of Cristina Aguilera's more graceful moves. It's as if Rachael wants to remind you that while her voice isn't her only asset, she's still got it and she ain't afraid to use it.

Now, I can understand your skepticism about an album like this if you've been previously exposed to Rachael and figured that her music didn't have a whole lot going on upstairs, or if you're just not a pop aficionado in general. And I'll admit that due to the stylistic variance and the fact that the lyrics still aren't as deep and probing as I normally like them to be, this isn't necessarily going to be good enough for everyone who demands a high amount of artistry from their music. But it's a huge step forward, in my opinion, and if Rachael's experiences continue to permeate her songwriting, we could be looking at an even better re-invention the fourth time around. For now, I think she's off to a great start, and if I'd have had it my way, her record label would have taken the time to really develop her as an artist, and waited until something like this could be released as her first album. In any event, it's always good to have a chance to start over, and Rachael has done so convincingly here.

Don't just take my word for it. WinAmp.com is streaming this album in full for free, so long as you have WinAmp installed on your computer. Go ahead and give it a try here:

http://www.winamp.com/music/artist.php?id=435301

(Man, if only more artists did free previews like this, the music industry would be a lot better off!)

ALBUM WORTH:
All This Time $2
Rubberhouse $1
Outrageous $1
No Other One $1.50
When I Fall $1
Being Alive $1
You Never Know $1
The Good Life $1
Honest $1.50
The Art $1.50
Room $1.50
TOTAL: $14

Website: http://www.rachaellampa.com

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying