Style: Quiet, contemplative rock
Beloved
December 9, 2008
Top tracks: “Lift Me Up,” “The Presence of Love,” “For You Lord”
In a nutshell: Though she fills a fresh spot on her label’s teen roster, Lara Landon’s depth immediately stands out for the serious listener. Avoiding the attention-grabbing tricks of her peers, her worshipful debut is dense and subtle, packed with scriptural truth about God’s love with revealing lines like “I’ve seen the sun rise in your eyes but turned away/No reason why” (“Lift Me Up”). Rich, throaty vocals, on par with Cindy Morgan and Sarah McLachlan, effortlessly soar over the album’s quiet balladry. Unfortunately, the strings and piano that dominate the aural landscape result in an AC sound that may be lost on younger audiences. But with a confident magnetism rarely found in young artists, Landon effectively portrays her own love affair with Christ and calls others to the knowledge they are his beloved.
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