After her debut album Say It, it didn't take long for Britt Nicole to establish a name for herself in Christian pop music which eventually led to high expectations for her sophomore effort. But in this case, The Lost Get Found may not include as much pyromania (see past hit single "Set The World On Fire") or as many stand-out pop tunes as fans might have hoped.

It really won't take long for fans of upbeat chick pop to see that much of Nicole's half dozen or so up-tempo tracks are straight out of the Krystal Meyer's play book. The catchy "Headphones" is a smooth pop/dance song, but the beat and hooks would feel right at home on Meyer's Make Some Noise, along with the electronically enhanced "How We Roll," which draws from artists like Meyers and Stephanie Smith. It's easy to enjoy the snappy musical number "Welcome To The Show," but the originality and the lyrical substance are really too similar to cotton candy ("So put ‘em u-u-up/We're gonna have some f-u-u-n/Turn up the bass let it b-u-u-mp."). In fact, Britt Nicole forsakes the lyrical meat in the upbeat songs, leaving messages about shrugging off harsh words ("Headphones") and desiring to dance and flying with God ("Like A Star") a little cliché and just a bit shallow. The title track and first hit single, however, manages to combine a charming, experienced pop sound with Britt's solid message of encouragement to believers who have lost their passion for sharing God's love ("Why do we go with the flow /Or take an easier road? /Why are we playin' it safe? /Love came to show us the way").

When the tempo of the record drops, Nicole's youthful voice actually steers her ballads toward Natalie Grant territory. Although on paper the softer tracks seem a little over the top, on "Safe" Nicole raises her emotion in her voice to make "I'm strong enough/I've always told myself/I never wanna need somebody else/But I've already fallen from that hill/So I'm dropping my guard/here's your chance at my heart" seem more authentic. Leaving out the mediocre "Feel The Light," the majority of the light pop ballads, including the fine piano-powered finale "Have Your Way," range from good to great.

Despite some cliché lyrics and the absence of more straight-up terrific highlights, The Lost Get Found is a fun album which definitely is a solid follow up to Say It. But even though the pop dance tunes are catchy, Meyers and many other pop-flair dependent artists routinely produce similar ear candy. The blend of youth and a refined pop beat combined on the title track is likely the direction where Britt Nicole should go in order to stand-out more. After all, that's how the good get better.

- Review date: 8/9/09, written by Nathaniel Schexnayder of Jesusfreakhideout.com