Artist David Dunn has honed his craft of singing, songwriting, and guitar playing over the years, releasing two EPs and three full-length records independently. After signing to BEC, David is back with a new EP, Crystal Clear.

Crystal Clear maintains similar lyrical content as his previous projects. Dunn continues to sing about life and God and his relationship with God, praising Him and finding contentment even in the hard times, like in EP opener "It is Well," which borrows from the classic hymn. "Have Everything" follows a similar template, where Dunn marvels at how good God is, and that he's giving his life up to Him. "Today is Beautiful" touches on the daily frustrations and spiritual "valleys" that happen in life, and still being able to find hope and joy in the struggles. "Nothing Left" sings about loving someone unconditionally, even when there's nothing left to give, even if that other person is not loving him the same way back. "When you love somebody there's a chance that they can ruin you, when you love somebody there's a chance that you can make it through," are some of Dunn's earnest lyrics found in the bridge. "Waiting for Love" rounds out the EP, and it's a piano-driven ballad that is a narrative that includes several stories about people who are struggling. The chorus is crying out for help and love in the rough patches in life. "Six hours on a tree // it wasn't fair that He should die for someone else's sins. So if we wonder if He cared, just remember He's been there," brings the song full circle, reminding the listeners that God does love and care for them.

Instrumentally, this album is very synth-pop driven, with a few exceptions. Drawing heavy influences from artists like The Script, One Republic, and Phil Wickham, Dunn provides a pleasant listening experience, even though it's got a familiar feel. Familiarity is not a bad thing, but when it becomes difficult to distinguish one artist from another, it starts to cause issues. Dunn is a talented artist with a great ability to paint rich pictures with his music, but hopefully we'll see more development with his own sound on future projects.

- Review date: 7/14/14, written by Courtney Warner of Jesusfreakhideout.com