Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, May 2013: Critics Call Amy Grant's First Full Length Album in 10 Years, How Mercy Looks From Here "Vibrant" and "One of the Best Albums of the Year"

Critics Call Amy Grant's First Full Length Album in 10 Years, How Mercy Looks From Here "Vibrant" and
"One of the Best Albums of the Year"

May Media Blitz includes CBS This Morning, NPR's Weekend Edition, Lifetime TVs The Balancing Act, MSNBC's Morning Joe, The Better Show, with upcoming stops at ABC's The View, The Chew and more

NEWS SOURCE: The M Collective
May 14, 2013

Nashville, Tenn. (May 14, 2013) - The foundation behind Amy Grant's first full-length studio album in 10 years came from some advice given to her by her late mother - "sing something that matters." The six-time GRAMMY® Award winner, who releases her 18th studio album today, May 14 is dedicating How Mercy Looks From Here to her mother and drawing from some of her favorite singers and songwriters in what critics are calling her most impactful release to date. The impressive array of talent includes Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Will Hoge, Carole King, Eric Paslay and James Taylor.

To launch her first album in over a decade, Grant dives in to street week with appearances on CBS This Morning (5/17 and 5/18) and the nationally syndicated lifestyle program, The Better Show (5/17) as well as Morning Joe on MSNBC (5/14), NPR's "Weekend Edition" (5/12), WOR Radio with Rita Cosby (5/14), ABC Radio, Keep the Faith radio and more. Grant also recently conducted an in depth interview for Lifetime TV's "The Balancing Act," (5/28) as well as their "Hollywood Watch" program (5/31). Additionally, Grant is also scheduled to appear on the highly acclaimed shows The View and The Chew early this summer.

Other media highlights for How Mercy Looks From Here include a special two-part Artist to Artist interview with FUSE NEWS between Grant and Sheryl Crow, an exclusive online video interview for Entertainment Tonight online as well as their featured artist for New Music Tuesday today, exclusive song premieres with Billboard.com and GoodHousekeeping.com, and cover stories with CCM Magazine, Called Magazine, Guideposts, FIRST for Women Magazine, SOCIAL and WHOA magazines. Additional feature coverage includes Billboard, Country Weekly, People.com, SiriusXM, and more.

The album's lead track, "Don't Try So Hard," features legendary songwriter James Taylor and continues its rise up the AC monitored chart, jumping 4 spots to #25 this week, and up 6 spots on the National Audience chart to #27.

Along with special mother's day promotions with several stations across the country, additional radio promos for the record are happening with key market stations throughout the country. Grant is making personal appearances at record listening parties with WAWZ, WGTS, WCIE, and WHPZ, as well as participating in a special promotion with KSBJ, while KXOJ and K-LOVE are both promoting a flyaway to The Greek Theater in Los Angeles to meet Amy and see her live.

Welcoming back the iconic singer-songwriter with open arms, here are just a few of the multitudes of praises on How Mercy Looks From Here:

"[Amy's] time away from music seems to have given [her] a renewed fervor for the job - a feeling that she doesn't plan to extinguish any time soon." - Entertainment Tonight

"...her singing has an easy grace that's well served by these songs of love, loss, faith and resilience, which benefit from Marshall Altman's spare, glowing production." - USA Today

"Grant's most emotionally compelling release since 1988's "Lead Me On"... proves that sincerity is not overrated and that open-hearted storytelling will outlast any musical fad." - Atlanta Journal Constitution

"The revered veteran is at another creative peak punctuated by authentic vocal delivery, understated but sophisticated production and a slew of all-star guests." - CCM Magazine

"…the songs glow with the gentle redemptive wisdom that is her strong point as a songwriter and singer." - iTunes

"...a start-to-finish true album experience... Every song on this album is heart and soul music, and Grant hits a home run in her quest to "sing something that matters." - Nashville Parent

"A collection of songs that mine the depths of both heart and soul as only Amy can. This is easily one of the best albums of the year." - NewReleaseTuesday.com

"Ultimately a profoundly encouraging record, How Mercy Looks From Here is a vibrant collection of thoughtful, reflective ruminations on life and the passage of time, from the lens of one who realizes the purpose for which she was created." - Christian Musician

About Amy Grant:
Amy Grant's career spans over 25 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into her experience as an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. Grant has sold more than 30 million albums boasting one five-time Platinum album, one triple Platinum and one double Platinum album, as well as six platinum and four Gold albums. Amy has won six GRAMMY® Awards in multiple categories, beginning with the platinum selling Age to Age in 1982 and 25 GMA Dove Awards. She also has six No. 1 hits - including "Baby, Baby" and "Every Heartbeat" - and is one of only two Christian artists to be awarded a star on the legendary Walk of Fame in Hollywood. In 2003, she was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2006 Amy announced her first ever label shift to EMI Music Group where her entire music catalog was re-mastered and released via a GREATEST HITS album and made available for the first time digitally. Amy released her first studio album in 10 years, How Mercy Looks From Here in May 2013.

Get Connected with Amy Grant:
Website // www.amygrant.com
Facebook // www.facebook.com/amygrant
Twitter // @amygrant

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For more info on Amy Grant visit the JFH Artists Database.