Customer Reviews

Feel Free

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Forget any Susan Ashton comparisons on this one..now the sound is closer to Sheryl Crow overall but with lyrical depth closer to Aimee Mann. Still pop but the guitar is amped-up and allowed some distortion...in fact, the first thing you hear is squealing guitar to let buyers of I CAN HEAR YOU know this is not the same old Arends. There are distorted vocals at times and the use of drum loops for the first time. This is a complete 180 from the first CD and a much more modern pop sound.

Radio rewarded her with 3 hits: #12 "New Year's Day", #3 "Do What You Do" and #13 "Big Deal" but she faded from view immediately afterwards. These days, she still does music as an independent artist.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"New Year's Day" examines our failure to follow up on the holiday promises we make. The title track is a blissful, bouncy glockenspiel-dusted paean to honesty to grace with ourselves and fellow believers ("Pray or scream or say or dream anything you want to/To tell me every secret about the ghosts that haunt you/And you can open up your closet wide/There's no skeleton inside/Worse than ones I call my own"). "There You Are" reminds us not to wait for a flashy "burning bush" or "parting of the Red Sea" but notice God's omnipresence among us. "Do We Dare" challenges non-Christians about those quiet moments when we wonder if this is really all there is.."the way our hearts beat/ faced with a sunrise/Like maybe they know something we don't". "Good Thing Going" is an ode to her husband of 7 years (with "no itch" she notes in the liners). These last 2 are the closest in sound to the mellower pop of her debut.

LOWS:
In "Big Deal" Arends castigates herself for her fears of failure. The song itself is great but the production..specifically cheesy background vocals in the chorus..wrecks it. Re-worked this would become a highlight of the album, but as is, it brings it down.

BOTTOM LINE:
If you ONLY like softer acoustic-based pop, this probably won't be your cup of tea. It's obvious Arends wanted to bring her sound closer to mainstream pop here and she succeeded. It's vibrant, electric, and modern...without dumbing down the lyrics. Her debut was nice but this is light years ahead of it. Recommended.

4 1/2 stars

She has a pleasant voice but her song writing leaves a lot to be desired. On this cd she has written only one good song out of ten, and even that is co-written. What has turned it into a great song is outstanding production by Brown Bannister.

This song was the beginning and end of my interest in Carolyn. One out of ten is a strike rate that would give you a shelf full of cds you never listen to. But in saying that, if you don't have a copy of "Do What You Do", I unreservedly recommend you buy the mp3, and if you like the song as much as I do, you'll then want the better sound quality found on the cd.

Then again, with 18 copies of the cd here for a cent at present, maybe that is the way to go first up.

This was a gift for a friend who'd heard one of my Carolyn Arends CDs. The words are wonderful.

Didnt know what to expect when I first picked up this econd release by Carolyn. Thought it would be lesser in sound and song strength. WRONG!! This Cd is even better and is so different from her debut! I love people and artists who change and dont stay the same. The blend oof rock and light jazz and even still just a hint of country on "Do We Dare" is brill! This album has some of the best songs ever on it. Listen away to "Big Deal" and "This I know", they will blow you away. Lovely song about Mark, her hubbie on this Cd although i think "The day will never come" on her next one is better but still this song is not flawed! AWESOME KEEP IT UP CAZ!

Carolyn Arends has won me over with Feel Free. The title tune, "Feel Free" is a great rock tune that returns to your mind again and again. The lyrics on this song and the rest of the album are clever and refreshing to listen to. "Father Thy Will Be Done" is another song that became an instant favorite. In this cut Carolyn manages to take what could be considered a simple theme and expand it to an assurance of her faith in the Lord. I can't think of a single song on this album that is not enjoyable. The rock feel weaves in and out of the selections. I liked this album so much that I snapped up Carolyn's other musical offerings. Enjoy!

Carolyn Arends,once again,has managed to touch people with her attention grabbing lyrics and catchy beat.Ecspecially noteworthy is "Do what you do"which emphasizes how you can't live your life worrying."Feel free"is about good friends and Last thursday is a great "this is how I am and will always be and if you don't like it,so what"kind of song.Overall I think it's a great CD and a giant leap from her first album.One thing you can say about her is that she has a style all her own.

Carolyn really has deversified herself in this album. She starts off the album with the song,"Do What You Do", in which the guitars had a Sheryl Crow and/or Wynonna Judd growl goin on. Her smooth voice took over and really harnessed the song well. "New Year's Day" is a reminder that we all have a chance to start over and new with the Lord. Starts off sounding like a rockin' Christmas and throughout the song, she sings like there's no tomorrow! Other highlights are "There You Are" which is, in my opinion, is a good song to meditate by, pointing out that the Lord is simply there and there FOR YOU. Other stand-outs would be "Last Thursday", which has a VERY catchy beat. It's a preaching song. Next, we have "Good Thing Going" which is a rock ballad and it's about confirmation of one's love for her/his mate during good and bad times. Lastly, there's "Father, Thy Will Be Done". This song starts off soft and then it definately picks up and ends up rockin'.The title of the song speaks for itself. Very upbeat, harmonious and a very good song to end the album with.

Just wanted to say that unlike some reviewers here who want "more jazz," I like Carolyn Arends BECAUSE she's not too jazzy! Rock 'n' rollers are a dime a dozen, but Carolyn's blend of folk and rock is as unique as her voice. If you want to listen to rock 'n' roll, shop in the rock alternative section (and no I will NOT advertise another artist in Carolyn Arends's space). Please, Carolyn, stay true to your folk sound (I like the debut album best!). Not to say I don't like this album--I do! But you're in a special class all your own . . . and I hope you'll stay there!

I kind of stumbled on this by accident, listened to the Real Audio above, and took a chance. What a gem! This album combines riff-driven guitar, folk, and even a bit of country, in a very entertaining way--and I am not a country or folk listener by any means! Every song is great. Carolyn has a wonderful way with words, a very pretty voice, and her heart is matched with her sense of humor. My favorites are the title track, "There You Are", "Big Deal", and "Father Thy Will Be Done". I wish that the ride-out of "FTWBD" could go on for another couple minutes--it is really cool! I highly recommend this album by this very talented artist. Don't forget to put this Enhanced CD in your PC and check out the multimedia clips.

I have met Carolyn Arends. She is and awesome person. Feel Free is favorite, in fact so much I sang it with my friend for a talent show and we got a lot of nice comments. Carolyn Arends is one of the many contemporary Christian singers who has inspired me to go this far with my singing, playing the piano , and songwriting in great hopes of a muiscal future. Thanks , Carolyn! God bless all who hear your sweet voice! I reccomend all her cd's (albums) and if you want to hear more of Carolyn or any other Contemporary Christian singer listen to 89.3FM KSBJ. Enjoy!!!