Since the departure of Christian pop group Jump5, pureNRG and the newest addition, The Rubyz, have come to fill the void. The Rubyz are a 3-piece girl group consisting of Marissa, Alexis, and Cammie, who are 13, 14, and 17 years old, respectively.

Although there is no new musical ground broken or anything too particularly unique or special brought to the pop music table, the girls have established a fun record, which was really its whole purpose. The thing that most separates them from their many counterparts are their vocal qualities. All three girls have strong vocals that make the music more enjoyable to listen to.

The weakest point of the album is the lyrics. At times, they can feel a little cheesy and juvenile. For example, in the opening track, "Staring At The Sun," Cammie sings, "Hey, Alexis/ Hey, Marissa/ It's Cammie up on the phone/ I was wondering if ya/ Wanted to hang..." Tracks like "Staring At The Sun," "Outrageous," and "Time Of My Life" are peppy, upbeat, summer tunes. Some spirituality appears in the mellow pop song "In My Life," the ballad "Thirteen," and "We Shine." The latter is a pop anthem, declaring, "We are the redeemed/ We are the ones who are free/ And we belong to Jesus." "Baila Chiquita" is a catchy, fun, girly pop song with a mild Latin flare. I was caught off guard with the R&B influenced sounds of "Just Like You," a song that appreciates a friend who isn't afraid to be themselves around others.

The album has two covers on it-- The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat," and Rihanna's "Umbrella." The rendition of "We Got The Beat" is pure fun, with a rock-inspired, infectious pop tune. The cover of Rihanna's smash hit, "Umbrella," is beautiful, slowing the tempo down and adding a more organic feel to it.

In conclusion, The Rubyz provide a fun pop record with their self-titled debut. The vocals are amazing, the hooks are catchy, and the lyrics are pure fun with a touch of spirituality added in for good measure. They are a worthy Christian-based alternative to the "tween" crowd who spends their time obsessing over High School Musical or Hannah Montana.

- Review date: 3/21/08, written by Matthew Watson of Jesusfreakhideout.com