Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review


Jessa Anderson, Not Myself Anymore
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Jessa Anderson
Not Myself Anymore



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks: 41 minutes, 37 seconds
Street Date: September 13, 2011


In the same vein as singer/songwriters Audrey Assad, Ginny Owens, and Nichole Nordeman comes newcomer Jessa Anderson. Boasting a charming pop-tinged soft rock façade, it didn't take long for her independent full-length record, entitled Not Myself Anymore, to fall into the hands of BEC Recordings; immediately impressed with its quality, BEC re-released her album with a brand new song and the smallest of tinkering, resulting in her debut as a signed artist, and it's an outcome that deserves a decisive ear.

As with many artists of this genre, Anderson's sound serves merely as the backbone to hold up the important messages she shares, inevitably lending itself to using potentially less-than-imaginative melodies. This is especially evident with "Fireflies," the new track to this edition of Not Myself Anymore. Obviously produced separately from the rest of the album, a bouncy piano base leads into a simplistic, ear-catching chorus. One could be quick to judge the album based on the radio-friendly feel of this track, but they would miss out on the otherwise comforting contemporary vibe of the album's whole. Her inclusion of pianos only gives her sound a more pleasing atmosphere almost akin to Norah Jones or Adele with an inviting "coffeehouse" approach. Anderson exercises her vocal talents quite effectively, as well, saving the impressive notes for when they can impact the song the most; they feel sweet and relatable, a perfect blend to pair with her lyrics at hand.

Not Myself Anymore lyrically ranges all over the spectrum; "Fireflies," "Worship the Lamb," and "Offering" are straight-up worship songs with varying degrees of excellence, but it's the tracks focusing on the reality of life's struggles that are executed the best. "Everybody Has Those Days" and "The Same Place" puts man's tendencies toward sin out in the open ("You made another big mistake/didn't anybody ever say, we all lie in the bed we make/'it's fine, we're all good inside,' or so you say/but we all come from the same place"), while the title track shows the aftermath of a broken relationship and a changed heart through the process ("But I can't seem to figure out why/I'm not myself anymore and I cry all the time/and you, you're unaccountably gone/you've got no explanation for leaving me alone/well maybe we shouldn't have let it go on for so long"). The most convicting track, however, is "Return," which urges listeners to take refuge in Christ and not in their grief ("Afraid of being hurt, we only give until it costs us something/so they won't see the worst, we tell ourselves it's better/they see nothing, but we diminish everything you are by hiding out inside ourselves/we need to return to you"). When Anderson's heartfelt songwriting holds little back, the listener can only empathize and lead themselves to self-application.

In her words, Jessa Anderson "always gravitated toward women who were writing their own music" and their accompanying honesty. Indeed, after closely examining Not Myself Anymore, her transparent style works to her advantage. Although her lyrical profundity varies from song to song and her musical approach isn't particularly inventive, those who invest the time can only benefit from Anderson's musical journey.

- Review date: 9/11/11, written by Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

 

. Record Label: BEC Recordings
. Album length: 11 tracks: 41 minutes, 37 seconds
. Street Date: September 13, 2011
. Download It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Not What I Thought (3:34)
  2. Fireflies (2:46)
  3. Everyone Has Those Days (2:48)
  4. Worship The Lamb (2:58)
  5. The Same Place (3:26)
  6. Not Myself Anymore (4:05)
  7. I Won't Break (4:02)
  8. Moving On (5:00)
  9. Offering (3:55)
  10. Don't Know (4:09)
  11. Return (4:59)
spacer     Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics

 

Leave a Comment


 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images