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

JFH Music Review


Jamie Grace, Ready To Fly
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Jamie Grace
Ready To Fly



Artist Info: Discography
Genre(s): Pop / Acoustic Pop
Album length: 14 tracks: 49 minutes, 34 seconds
Street Date: January 28, 2014


The youngest nominee of the 2012 Grammy Awards, Jamie Grace surely became Gotee Records' saving grace. The "acoustic-urban" approach of One Song At a Time was novel and represented an interesting shift for what a contemporary Christian pop singer could be. Less than three years later, Jamie's fanbase finally gets to hear her sophomore release, Ready To Fly, and they'll get exactly what they expected.

Rewinding a bit to Jamie's first album, listeners can recall a sense of young excitement and fun laced throughout every track. For Jamie's target audience, it worked perfectly, even if it often opted for the youngest side of the listening spectrum. A few years later, however, Ready To Fly is simply part two, functionally the same as before. In the years between both records, Jamie has grown up, and so have her fans; the issue with an album like Ready To Fly is that it lacks any mature growth and often tries to breathe life into songs no longer relevant to Jamie's stage in life. Jamie is twenty-two years old at the time of this album, but the essence of the album harkens back to what was probably Jamie's much younger self. "Just a Friend," for instance, finds Jamie longing for the attention of a certain boy that doesn't reciprocate; perhaps this did happen in Jamie's past, but she surely has more poingnant memories to write about for a release years later. "White Boots" touches on a similar theme, though instead of feeling anachronistic, it carries around an unconvincing metaphor for sexual purity ("I've got my white boots, my white dress/and baby, I ain't getting them dusty"). Granted, One Song At a Time was never supposed to be a particularly nuanced album either, but Jamie's selection of songs hasn't gotten deeper, just only wider.

As for individual tracks, it's worth mentioning here that the musical philosophy from the last album remains unchanged. With an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, it's hard to blame Jamie for not doing much to evolve musically, though it makes each track here much less interesting in the long run. The only difference from the last album is the addition of producer Chuck Butler, who also produced Royal Taylor, which results in synth-laden tracks like "Beautiful Day," "To Love You Back" and "Always You," though these really aren't huge deviations from the standard setting. There's the bouncy tracks ("Little Ol' Me," "Do Life Big," "Every Bit of Lonely," "My First Love"), the slower ones ("Fighter," "The Waiting"), and it all follows a distinct pattern. Jamie has almost created a formula of her own, but because she follows it to a tee, the album lacks any surprises, pleasant or otherwise. The album is even topped off with a retread from the last album, "Ready to Fly (Avery's Song)," which doesn't improve much in its more finished form.

Again, it might sound mean-spirited to pick apart an album as sincere as Ready To Fly, and because it follows all the rules that lead to chart and radio success, it's hard to fault Gotee for its execution. But if Jamie is truly a great songwriter who yearns to grow as a professional musician, albums like Ready To Fly only serve to keep Jamie stuck in a creative rut. 2014 is more of the same from Jamie Grace, but in time, perhaps betters things are still to come.

- Review date: 1/26/14, written by Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

 

. Record Label: Gotee Records
. Album length: 14 tracks: 49 minutes, 34 seconds
. Street Date: January 28, 2014
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. So Amazing (Prelude) (0:28)
  2. Beautiful Day (3:10)
  3. Just a Friend (feat. Manwell of Group 1 Crew) (3:44)
  4. Fighter (3:45)
  5. Little Ol' Me (3:31)
  6. To Love You Back (4:01)
  7. Do Life Big (3:05)
  8. Every Bit of Lovely (3:22)
  9. White Boots (feat. Morgan Harper Nichols) (4:11)
  10. The Waiting (3:17)
  11. My First Love (3:29)
  12. Always You (2:58)
  13. Ready to Fly (Avery's Song) (3:32)
  14. Fighter (feat. Jason Crabb) (Acoustic Version - Bonus Track) (3:44)
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
    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

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

Search JFH




This Tuesday, October 29, 2024
SINGLES
Pipe Bomb Hate Club - Single [The Charon Collective]

This Thursday, October 31, 2024
ALBUMS
Neon Horse Habit of Creature - EP [Velvet Blue Music]

This Friday, November 1, 2024
ALBUMS
AWZY Sinners and Saints - EP [DREAM]
Forrest Frank Child of God (Deluxe) [river house]
Future of Forestry Symphonic Christmas (Live) (independent)
Influence Music It's All About You (independent)
The Kingdom Heirs No Better Time [Sonlite]
Limoblaze Young & Chosen (Power Pack) - EP [Reach]
Paul & Hannah McClure Christmas Morning (Re-Release) [Bethel]
Planetshakers Winning Team: Songs For Church (Live) [Venture3Media]
Skillet Revolution [Atlantic]
Sam's the Hero Charlie Cox - EP [Small Step]
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld Light of Joy - EP [Vere]
Ivan Theva Waiting Here for You - EP [Descendent/Provident]
John Van Deusen Anthem Sprinter [Tooth & Nail]
Phil Wickham Hallelujah! It's Christmas! [Fair Trade]
YWAM Kona Music Missionary Anthem - EP [Integrity]

SINGLES
Ayo Shamir, YP aka Young Paul Aaron Judge - Single (independent)
Gabby Barrett O Come, O Come Emmanuel (feat. The Piano Guys) - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Brennley Brown Mary, Did You Know? - Single [Provident]
Lauren Daigle Then I Will - Single [Centricity]
Dreamers The Reason - Multi-Single [DREAM]
EJ Swavv I Hate Lucy - Single [Syntax]
Jess Ford This is My Jesus - Single (independent)
FYR FYTR So Simple - Single (independent)
Michael Monroe Pour It Out - Single [Provident]
Seph Schlueter We Sing (Joy To The World) [feat. Leanna Crawford] - Single [Provident]
Skye Peterson, Ben Shive Keep the Feast - Single [Getty]
SNT. VINCENT Confession - Single [Syntax]
Cyndi Thompson Silent Night - Single [County Line]
Thrive Worship Hark - Single [Integrity]
Tauren Wells Making Room - Single [Capitol CMG]

VINYL
Skillet Revolution Vinyl [Atlantic]

Next Friday, November 8, 2024
ALBUMS
Gabby Barrett Carols and Candlelight [Warner Music Nashville]
CXMMXNS CXMMXNS Chapter 1 - EP [Essential Worship]
New Hope Oahu There Is One - EP [DREAM]
Neal Morse & The Resonance No Hill For A Climber [InsideOut]
TAKE Time Bomb [Resuscitation Records]
Lauren Talley A Lauren Talley Christmas [Horizon]

SINGLES
Cory Asbury I Hope You Dance - Single [BEC]
Jordan Kauflin, Laura Story Approach, My Soul - Single [Getty]
Sam Bowman & GLADDEN Misfit Toys - Single [DREAM]
Wavorly Enemies - Single (independent)

VINYL
Michael W. Smith Every Christmas Vinyl [Rocketown]
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Vinyl [Frontiers]
TAKE Time Bomb Vinyl [Resuscitation Records]

DVD
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Blu-Ray [Frontiers]



For all release dates, click here!
 



Check out the new album from Taylor Holland Armstrong!



Listen to the new Single from Second Adam and the New Creations!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images