Word Records latest signee Meredith Andrews may be new to the record label, but she is by no means a novice artist. Before even graduating from Liberty University a couple of years ago, Andrews released her independent project and led student worship at her college as well as traveled with the vocal group Truth. Now she is signed to Word and upon her first major label release.

Similar to her indie disc, Mesmerized, Andrew's debut label project is very much pop/worship oriented. Comparisons to Darlene Zschech and Chris Tomlin were inevitable on her first album, and it appears The Invitation is cut out of the same cloth, so to speak. This album evokes images of Andrews leading worship in a large congregation and is perfect for fans of the ever-popular worship trend.

Because The Invitation falls quite comfortably in the same category, many of the songs sound very similar, even identical, at times. "You Invite Me In" and "Show Me What It Means" focus closely on the love and grace of God while properly played for Christian pop radio. "The River," a pretty piano-based ballad, featuring Andrews' gorgeous voice, is probably one of the best tracks on the album. "Treasure" and "Deeper" are both gentle praise tracks comparable to much of what encompasses The Invitation. Overall, The Invitation is a solid project; it just lacks that special spark. The album has smooth, clean production which enhances the overall quality of the tracks, however the "originality factor" seems to be missing.

Meredith Andrews has the potential to be a really strong, influential artist in the future. However, she needs to fall into her being as an artist and move away from being so heavily influenced by today's leading worship artists. Andrews possesses excellent skills as a vocalist, musician, and writer - she just needs to use those skills less influenced.

- Review date: 4/27/08, written by Lauren Summerford