Customer Reviews

Awaken

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let us try not to gush: You wait a decade between albums like this one.

These thirteen tracks emerge either from Ms. Grant's experience or from the collective wisdom in song selection of her handlers. Either way, we are face to face with stunning music and a beautiful young woman in a world where one grows weary of finding such a correspondence.

This is no crossover romance-or-religion puffery, where the listener takes his pick of context. To the contrary, Grant sings from deep and unveiled biblical conviction.

When she sings on the album's first track, after all, 'Awaken my heart, awaken my soul, awaken your power and take control', she is not singing to the handsome guy across the room. She's crying out to recognizable and well-defined God.

Then she pops you in the face with the utter theological simplicity that follows the manic intro to 'Something Beautiful'. What say we begin with the mania?:

'This is a song for anyone whose ever been
knocked down ; can't get back again
Stuck in the corner, can't move forward
All alone and you think you're going nowhere
This is a song for anyone whose ever stood
underneath the sun and felt so small-
two feet tall and so out of place.'


After an intro like that with perhaps a few too many intimations of girly-pop, where does a song like this go? On to feel-good, self-absorbed truisms with a nice guitar riff for distraction?

No. Not this time.

Instead, this biblically-informed terseness:

'He sees you - he knows you - he loves you
and he wants you to know that'

That's all. In the biblical dialect of divine-human relationship, that is considered sufficient. Grant seems to agree. Refreshing, that. Strengthening too. 'Sets a man to singin', even.

But she's only getting started here. Though she has that rising-farther-than-you-thought-she-was-gonna'-go quality to her voice, she becomes a formidable artist when she sings out of the kind of suffering that one is not supposed to know about while still young.

There is no doubt that Ms. Grant has a fine set of pipes. She's convinced you of that before you're a minute into this CD. In fact, one can go four or five tracks wondering what a pianissimo would sound like here and whether we're going to have one of those before we finish.

But she comes into her own when she gets introspective and balladesque without losing her theological compasspoint. This happens for the first time in 'The Real Me', a song that teeters dramatically on the razor edge of narcissism before rescue by an impulse that must owe something--consciously or not--to Psalmody. What I mean is that 'But you see the real me' is counterpoint to all manner of self-description. Grant seems to have come to terms with the biblical affirmation that her Christian faith calls her not to gnostic self-annihilation in favor of the soul, but rather to an authentic assumption of her Redeemer's intention for her. For *her*, we might place an accent. Listen:

'But you see see the real me.
Hiding in my skin, broken from within.
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp,
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me ...

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When You look at me.
You've turned the tattered fabric of my life
Into a perfect tapestry.
Oh, I just wanna' be me,
I wanna' be me.'

This is miles and miles from the self-referential and self-realizing ethos of popular myth. On the contrary one smells, from a certain distance to be sure, the distintive scent of a theology of creation.

Hmm ... 'Smells good.

Ms. Grant works through a couple of other tunes before coming to the showstopper, the one that is worth the price of the entire shiny little disk, and then some.

'Held' articulates the chastened, half-broken faith that emerges only from suffering. It's something you're not supposed to know about while you're still young. In the tradition of Job ('The Lord gave, the Lord took away, blessed be the name of the Lord') and the cross-shadowed path, one comes to terms with a God whose goodness is often invisible even if not ephemeral.

A child has died. That's all we know. Grant sings:

'Two months is too little.
They let him go.
The had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.'


There is more on this album. Much more. But after 'Held', it is anticlimax and afterword, though it is good music.

The only bad thing about this CD is that we may need to await another ten years before one like it comes along.

Every once in a great while a musical artist has come into my life and grabbed my intellect and emotions. In the past its been Judy Collins then Nanci Griffith and later Alison Krauss. One day I heard Natalie Grant's "Held" on Sirius radio's Spirit channel and was swept away. This has got to be one of the most beautiful recording ever made. I got the album "Awaken" the next day and there are songs on the album that are already among my all time favorites....especially "The Real Me" and "Home". This is a truly gifted artist who can phrase a lyric with incredible tenderness yet belt out with the best of them. I have not traditionally sought out Christian Music but Natalie Grant grabbed my heart and attitude toward Faith. I have a feeling that's just what she wanted to do....she is now on the above select list of artists that will forever move me....not
bad company at all.

I have persistently purchased CDs by Natalie Grant because it is hard to not acknowledge the God-gven talent she has been given; however, with every purchase, I felt mostly disappointment. There were maybe two or three songs that were enjoyable to listen to. Usually one song that I would put on repeat. This CD is a very different story. I can honestly say that this is one of the best CDs that I currently own. It is a refreshing new approach to displaying Natalie Grant's undeniable vocal talent, which is to sing great and memorable songs. I have also had trouble with shallow lyrics in her past albums; this CD is very deep and theologically sound. A few songs stand out: "The Real Me," "Held," and "Make me Over" are beautiful and touching. I would recommend this to just about anyone.

I was fed up with the secular junk on the radio and was determined to find some Christian music, though I had never bought any before and I didn't have any recommendations or anything to go by, except for the little song clips that amazon has. Since I wanted something to replace the radio, I wasn't looking for a hymn sing exactly. My main requirement was that it not sound like a church choir. Well most of the first cds that I clicked on had great song lists, they were hymns I was familiar with- then I heard the clips and it could have been our church choir singing. If I wanted that, I could just bring a little recorder with me on Sunday. no thanks. Then after a bunch more clicks, I heard some of Natalie's and ordered Awaken and Deeper Life. I was extremely joyful to receive them, I played both of them all week and they were so incredibly inspiring, encouraging my faith and inspiring me to grow closer to God and giving me strength to live for Him.

All I can is WOW! What an anointed album. Every song penetrates the heart. Aside from Natalie Grant's powerful vocals, this album is amazing. Every song is moving, from the lyrics to the music itself. There are some CDs that have a few songs that you'll listen to over and over and then the songs that you always skip over. I don't think anyone will walk away disappointed with this purchase. I will say that "Make Me Over" and "What Are You Waiting For" have really made me think about my own spiritual life and walk with God. Be careful if you're listening to it in your car, no accidents while your praising the Lord!

Awaken is an appropriate title for the latest recording from Natalie Grant. It reflects the change in her life and serves as a challenge to her audience. The catalyst for it all was an episode from her favorite TV program "Law and Order". In a dramatic way it showed the horrors of human trafficking-the trade of persons across borders or within a country for the most inhumane, involuntary servitude. What Natalie saw stirred her to not only do something but gave her a passion to live more fully-to extend her boundaries as a believer and an artist.

Her new passion comes through loud and clear on Awaken. Like a number of Christian artists of late, her music on this release takes on a harder edge. The opening chords of "Something Beautiful" immediately call to mind Switchfoot's smash single "Meant To Live". She moves further from big voice, adult contemporary music toward a more modern rock/pop sophistication. The singing, the musicianship, the production, and the artistry are all first-rate.

Many of the songs on Awaken are about living life to the fullest. About half of the songs are co-written by Natalie, just another indicator of how much she has come into her own on this recording. "Home" was written for the many young girls who are victims of sexual slavery. "You keep watching the rain come down/pretty princess, broken crown/and your dreams.../but don't you know they've brought you here somehow/All you need to know is you're home."

"The Real Me", written by Natalie, is a beautiful song about being vulnerable, abandoning our efforts to conceal who we are inside. "Held" is an affirmation of God's tender care during times of difficult, inexplicable losses. In contrast to the many issue-driven songs, "You Move Me" is a straightforward expression of praise to God. The closing song, "Bring It All Together", is a rousing gospel-flavored duet with Wynonna Judd. There's not a wasted song.

Natalie is bound to make new fans with this recording while retaining those who already appreciate her work. Awaken deserves a wide audience, and her work to help victims of modern day slavery is worthy of support.

The song "Bring It All Together" alone is worth buying this CD. With the powerful Wynonna Judd, this song is inspriration in its highest form. A feel good song at it's best. The other songs are awesome too. This CD is a must buy.

I never considered buying a Natalie Grant album before but after hearing the whole thing of "The Real Me" on the internet I knew I had to get this album!

"Intro (The Awakening)" is a very good way to start off the album-very high quality. It starts off with some violin on a radio and then a moving orchestra layers on top. I don't think the pop rock sounding "Awaken" fits in to well after this magnificemnt intor, but it is a great song (Listen to it when you wake up in the morning!). The more aggresive sounding pop song "Something Beautiful" has cool "Yeah, yeah"s and an encouraging message-that your life is made for something beautiful. "What are you waiting for" continues the pop rock feel and tells us to get up and make a difference. the piano-orchestra based "The Real Me" comes in next. it is sucha favorite-I get moved every time I hear it. Check out her book of the same name. This song and "Home" are worth the album alone.

"Another Day" is a road trip sounding song-the chorus is awesome! I love it! The next ballad "Home" is beautiful-is you like "The Real me" you'll like this song. It is good for everyone-a good message. "Captured" is a pop song with slightly praiseish lyrics. The smash hit single-another ballad-"Held" will minister to a lot of people. It was written out of lost but tells us through it all "we'll be held".

"You move me" is similar to "Captured". It has more praise lyrics and is cool, but doesn't really catch my attention. "Make Me Over" is very cool-about asking God to transform your life. Again, great strings and a fabulous ballad. This is good to listen to after you've messed up.

The more upbeat "live for today" slides in, flowing along in the chorus. I would have skipped the last track-the old school sounding "Bring it all together". Despite this little let down, you'll love this album. Highlights: "The Real Me" "Home" and "Held"

This is really an amazing cd. Every song is incredible in it's own unique way. It's musically interesting and lyrically challenging. I have to say, I feel like the song "Held" saved my life. It has been an anchor for me and a timely encouragement. BUY THIS CD! You will not be sorry.

In a word, awesome! This CD has been such a blessing to me and I've only had it for 2 days. I'm a Christian and pregnany with my fourth child and there may be some concerns about the baby. Plus, my family is struggling with unexpected financial issues, as well as other major stresses. "Held" and "Bring it all together" are just what God ordered for me. Even my OB who is Jewish was moved by this young lady's talent to convey God's message of love and comfort to all. I thought we both were going to start crying in her office listening to "Held".

Bravo, Natalie! May God continue to bless you and those whose lives you touch.