Brandon Heath came onto the Christian contemporary scene rather quietly two years ago with his debut Don't Get Comfortable. Heath quickly garnered several radio hits, however, including the worship song "Our God Reigns" and the incredibly successful "I'm Not Who I Was," which he performed a bit of at this year's Dove Awards. After touring almost relentlessly and venturing out on a missions trip to Kenya and Uganda with Blood:Water Mission, Heath has been writing his new album What If We. The idea for the name of the record is to challenge Christians to ask the question "What if we…?" every day of our lives. The album also addresses many of topics like love, showing kindness, and finding the best in people.

While Heath's debut was full of radio-friendly pop hits, the major difference on this release is that each song has a much softer and more melodic feel, save for the few singles that are sprinkled throughout the record. The intro single "Give Me Your Eyes" is already climbing the charts this summer, with Heath's choruses becoming reminiscent of fellow singer/songwriter Mat Kearney. The song also includes lyrics that show Heath's passion for the lost and hurting, "Give me Your eyes for just one second / give me Your eyes so I can see / everything that I keep missing / Give me Your love for humanity." Highlights on the recording include the soft yet addictive chorus of "Listen Up," the southern twinge of "Wait And See" (where Heath admits "He's not finished with me yet"), and the slow piano-driven finale "No Not One." Probably the biggest highlight of the record comes on the piano-rock track "London," seemingly a love song that Heath wrote. The piano accompanied with the singer's strong vocals and addictive chorus makes for a beautiful song and fits perfectly for Heath's style.

Overall, if you enjoyed Brandon Heath's debut, are a fan of Mat Kearney or Matthew West, or you're simply looking for a feel-good, melody-driven record, pick up What If We. While the singer/songwriter's debut was powerful and impressive, his second outing is definitely one that you'll be playing long after the summer is over.

- Review date: 7/23/08, written by Justin Mabee