Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Originally from London, Jacqui Wakelam has been living in Melbourne for a number of years and has recently returned to the UK to live in London. She's brought with her a debut album that is one of the most exciting indie projects I've heard in ages. Let's see, where do I start? Jacqui is a great songwriter, penning songs that make you think and communicate faith in a non preachy way. She's also a bit of a rock chick armed with a strong voice and she's not afraid to turn everything up in a pop punk fashion. Lyrically Jacqui writes songs that cover the spectrum from the more worshipful like "His Will" to those like the title cut which makes the listener question their identity, and the dramatic "Time To Die" and the spiritual truth of losing everything to follow Jesus. Musically Jacqui has the perfect voice for this kind of music, capable of beautiful melody but then breaking out into great passion. Comparisons with Evanescence and Plumb are the most obvious and it's clear listening to this that Wakelam has plenty of talent. Highlights include the haunting "Star" whereas "A Different Kind Of Beautiful" explores issues of self esteem and "Cool" is a fun upbeat song that shows what can be achieved when you stand out from the crowd and dare to be different. Ministering in a way that's similar to Superchick and attempting to get at the heart of things, Jacqui Wakelam has unleashed a killer debut that is full of fun sounding power pop but musically and lyrically, it's full of bite! It's definitely worth putting in the effort to track it down and check it out.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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