There don't seem to be many Christian female singers that are very popular in the industry today, save for Rebecca St. James or the newly revived Amy Grant. Ana Laura possesses a soulful voice that embraces the title of Christian singer fully. She shows her talent in different genres throughout her self-titled debut, like jazz, rock, and especially piano-based tunes.

Ana's self-titled debut opens with "Sometimes," a rock ballad showcasing God's faithfulness through hard times. A seemingly unnecessary introduction precedes her first single, "If You Ever Fall." The song is about the promise from God that He will never leave us, even, and especially when, we fall. Ana seems to really love her music, and it's obvious in songs like "Completely," where the final minute of the song is all instrumental, with Ana humming along with the song part of the way through.

The underlining theme of the entire album seems to be a message of God always sticking by us even when we are weak. Songs that support this include "If You Ever Fall," "Sometimes," and "Don't Run Away." A few personal favorites of mine are "Water," which is a jazzy-rock anthem declaring that we all need Christ's living water to keep us alive, the album opener "Sometimes," and "No More," which is an upbeat pop song about breaking free of Satan's grasp.

Ana Laura is a new artist that's just getting her feet wet in the vast waters of Christian music industry. She should learn a lot from the likes of her labelmates Casting Crowns and Michael W. Smith that it takes a lot of time, effort, and talent to get noticed. Ana has a decent debut under her belt, and I intend to watch with great anticipation as she continues to develop and mature her sound.

- Review date: 2/13/06, written by Justin Mabee