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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Inspection Review

Lauren Béa

Lauren Béa
Wildflower

Street Date: October 9, 2018
Style: Pop / Dance / AC
Buy It: iTunes



To say that Austin native Lauren Béa isn't quite a household name just yet would be something of an understatement. Indeed, unless you happened to attend one of the women's conferences for which she provided music, you've probably never heard of her. Luckily for the members of the listening audience, an exhaustive knowledge of her back catalog isn't a requisite for enjoying her debut effort. Purveying a sort of dance/pop/adult contemporary hybrid, Wildflower is aimed at fans - of both genders - who happen to favor those particular musical genres.

Things start off nicely with the toe-tapping dance-pop cut, "Sovereign Still," which transitions seamlessly between its laid-back verses and more bracing chorus. Bookending the proceedings is the closing cover of Hillsong Worship's "What a Beautiful Name," which shows Béa to be equally proficient at slower, worship-based material. In between its beginning and end, though, the record is filled with too many tracks whose rhythms are either awkward ("Everything"), lumbering ("What If We Loved") or simply mismatched to the cadence and pace of their lyrical accompaniment (the title song).

To its credit, the album's themes of positive self-image, aloneness and the loss of an unborn child are bound to resonate with a large portion of her audience. And Béa sings with a strength, clarity and conviction that go a long way toward offsetting her first project's shortcomings. Even with those assets taken into account, though, it's hard not to wish that her freshman outing were graced with tighter beats, a stronger set of melodies and just a little more oomph.

That being said, those who caught her at any of her women's events and liked what they heard will almost certainly find Wildflower to their liking. And its limitations, in the broadest sense, are certainly easy enough to correct. All of which means that, while the majority of dance and pop music purists will want to cherry pick one or two tunes, at most, from her inaugural release, her undeniable talent and admirable conviction bode very well for her sophomore outing and may just well make Béa one of the artists to watch in 2019.

- Review date: 11/1/18, written by Bert Gangl of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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This Friday, June 27, 2025
ALBUMS
7eventh Time Down We Praise You [BEC]
The Browns 25th Anniversary: Better Days Ahead [StowTown]
Franni Cash Wild Child - EP [Capitol CMG]
Matt Crocker interlude [Anotherland]
Jimmy Fortune Songs of an American Dreamer [Gaither]
Roxanne Grace Road Trip - EP [DREAM]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise The Live Reunion: Washington, DC [James Town]
Kutless The Seventh Seal - EP [BEC]
Evvie McKinney It Ain't Over - EP (independent)
Rusty Shipp Capsized Empire (independent)
SEU Worship A Forgiving God [Provident]
The Shimmering Carnelians The Doorway (Version 2.0) (independent)
We Are Messengers A Thousand Times - EP [Curb]

SINGLES
Anchor & Braille Rattlesnake - Single [Equal Vision]
ANTHNY imposter syndrome - Single [Provident]
Blanca Right On Time - Single [Curb]
Landry Cantrell & Elenee sunshine & rainbows - Single [DREAM]
Eddie Clark Never Content - Single [Syntax]
Colony House Atomic - Single [Roon]
Megan Danielle Preachin' To The Choir - Single [Provident]
Drea LP & OnBeatMusic Don't Try Me (DTM) - Single [Syntax]
ELI GABLE Glory Bound - Single [Capitol CMG]
Joseph Habedank Running to Me - Single [Daywind]
Lonnie Hunter Flow (Like A River) - Single [Uncle G]
Kashh Kade HELP - Single [Syntax]
KB x KEANU Keanu's Song - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Singing In the Dark - Single [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Hand That Keeps Holding - Single [Motown Gospel]
Claire Leslie Thank God I'm Not Alone (from Claire's Phone) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Tim Lovelace Celebration of America Medley (feat. Charlie McCoy) - Single [StowTown]
Lecrae Tell No Lie (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) - Single [Reach]
LO Worship The Perfect Love of Jesus - Single [Integrity]
Patrick Mayberry Thank The Lord - Single [Provident]
Michael Monroe John The Baptist (feat. Chris Renzema) - Single [Provident]
Alexander Pappas A Great Awakening / Un Nuevo Despertar - Single [Integrity]
PEABOD Summer in Seattle - Single [RMG Amplify]
Rave Jesus Walk On The Water Remix (From The Chosen) - Single [Provident]
The Rocky Valentines Nat Song - Single [Velvet Blue]
Tommy Royale, gio. Like Dat - Single [Capitol CMG]
Saints In Exile & Cutright My Dead End (ft. Jeannie Ortega, Luc DiMarzio, Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Emilie Weiss Take Care (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC]

DVD
Jimmy Fortune Songs Of An American Dreamer DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, July 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Chad Cory America [DREAM]
Tenielle Neda The Way Of Love [Wings]

SINGLES
Christian Back Now - Single [DREAM]



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