Tammy Trent has been around in CCM for quite awhile, scoring top hits like "My Irreplaceable." However, on September 11, 2001, her husband passed away in a scuba-diving incident, and Tammy never thought she'd be able to sing again. But that all changed in 2006, when she released I See Beautiful, her first album in nearly six years, and started reaching out to girls across the nation in the ever-popular Revolve tour. Now, two years later, Tammy releases Stronger, which is a very appropriate title, as the majority of the tracks discuss her faith in God after her husband's tragic accident.

The music displayed here is mostly your typical CCM fare, with the AC pop feel throughout. With the exception of a song here and there, the music really lacks catchy, memorable hooks, which is unusual for a pop album. The upbeat songs, like her cover of Avalon's "Somehow You Are," "Only One," and "Beautiful," are good, but not anything groundbreaking. Not to mention a slew of four or five ballads are poorly placed consecutively. However, Stronger does have its moments, like in the worshipful "God Of Impossibles," the gorgeous piano-based "Edge Of The Water," and the powerful "I'm Letting Go."

Just as with the music, the lyrics are also full of clichés. The music relies too heavily on repetitiveness. Although it works in a handful of songs, it gets old and the album starts to sound monotonous. Trent's vocals are her redeeming factor. And although Tammy is highly capable of strong vocals, Stronger doesn't really give her a chance to showcase them.

Although press releases stated that Stronger is full of emotion and heartfelt lyricism, it is really hard to tell. All in all, the lyrics are meaningful but clichéd, and Tammy's vocals are held back. The music itself is only just alright, and mostly lacks strong hooks or memorable melodies. The album is a ultimately a typical CCM album.

- Review date: 9/22/08, written by Matthew Watson of Jesusfreakhideout.com