Mandisa- Overcome Album Review

Radio Ready: Overcomer, Press On, What Scars Are For, Dear John, The Distance, Joy Unspeakable

iPod Picks: Dear John, Joy Unspeakable, At All Times, Press On (Remix), Overcomer, Face 2 Face, What Scars Are For, I Hope You Dance (and the rest of the album if you have space!)

About a year ago I wrote a blog about artists that were on the verge of blowing up in a big way in Christian Music. I called them "Artists On The Bubble". CCM artist Mandisa wrote me back saying she received my advice and would do her best to follow my suggestions. Well ladies and gents, Mandisa has released a new album. She has indeed listened and created an amazing Christian Pop record that is current, catchy and Christ focused!

Lyrically, Mandisa is incredibly straightforward about her faith in Jesus Christ. Over and over again she points to Jesus as her hope and the only source of true strength, peace and satisfaction. On songs like "Dear John", "The Distance" and "Overcomer" Mandisa sings of how her faith in Jesus has changed everything about her- for good! She sings of how there is "freedom on the other side of things that keep you tied up and afraid... for He gave His life to pay it all" ("Dear John").  Over and over again she reminds the listener that if they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that he died on the cross for their sins and rose again from the dead, they will be saved (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31). She would go on to sing in "Dear John" that "It's up to you, you have to choose. The Father is waiting there with open arms". (For more information on how to know the true freedom through Jesus Christ that Mandisa is singing about, please visit www.salvationtest.org) To see such a pubic figure be so vocal about her faith is not refreshing and commendable.

Musically, Overcomer finds that difficult balance between radio pop and spiritual substance and pushes the musical boundaries of CCM just enough to keep things interesting without alienating the core fan base. There are a plethora of potential hit singles to follow in the footsteps of the #1 title song. Upbeat numbers "Back to You" and "Press On" (the likely second single as it was the only song besides "Overcomer" to receive a remix on the Deluxe Edition) and mid-tempo ballads "The Distance", "What Scars Are For" and album highlight "Dear John" (written for her "pre-Christian" brother) all are musically tailor-made for CCM radio and should give Overcomer a long and prosperous shelf-life, similar to her previous album What If We Were Real (which has sold nearly 300,000 copies in the last two years).

Elsewhere, "Face 2 Face" and "Joy Unspeakable" dabble in dance pop similar to label mate Britt Nicole or mainstream superstars Demi Lovato and Katy Perry. Meanwhile, "At All Times" is straight up 90's Gospel-worship with a call and response singing style that is similar to that of Israel Houton (who actually co-wrote the song with Mandisa) while the musical backdrop conjurers up memories of Mandisa's previous top 10 hit "My Deliverer" complete with a vocally acrobatic outro that will make even the most conservative among us lift a "praise hand" or two. The closing two ballads on the standard edition add a nice diversity to the primarily upbeat set. "Praying for You" calls to mind the acoustic soul music of India.Arie or Bruno Marrs and I can see "Where You Begin" taking the place of "God Speaking" as a new encore acoustic ballad in Mandisa's concerts. I'm glad Mandisa didn't make an entire album of "made-for-radio" songs as that would have been boring. It's nice to see some diversity (especially towards the end of the set) and I hope her next album will include even more variety after she establishes herself as a star in CCM.

Be sure to purchase the Deluxe Edition of the album because this is where the true surprises lie. When I first saw that Mandisa was covering Lee Ann Womack's country-pop classic "I Hope You Dance" I was very afraid. For those who remember, Mandisa was eliminated in 9th place on her season of American Idol during Country Week for singing Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine". The last thing I wanted to hear her do was another country song. However, Mandisa's take of "I Hope You Dance" completely redeems her missteps on "Any Man of Mine" as she "makes the song her own" (as Randy would say) by stripping away the country instrumentation and rearranging it as an electronic ballad while maintaining the sincerity of the lyrics. The remixes of "Overcomer" and "Press On" truly bring new life to the tracks. I would have preferred a stronger dubstep breakdown during the final chorus of "Overcomer" but I actually like the remix version of "Press On" better than the original and hope that this is the version sent to Christian Pop radio (CHR) when the standard album version is sent to Adult Contemporary and Inspirational radio. On the opposite end of the spectrum, closing ballad "Cradle Me (Patsy's Lullaby)" brings Disa back to her classical training with a beautifully orchestrated and vocally restrained performance that would not feel out of place on a Sandi Patty record.

Overall this is a perfectly crafted Christian Pop album. My only complaint would be that the sequencing of acoustic ballad "Praying for You" after the explosive dance song "Joy Unspeakable" was a bit jarring and placing another song in between them ("What Scars Are For" or "Dear John") would have made a smoother transition. Oh and there is no digital booklet available through iTunes :(

Mandisa has proven with Overcomer that she is much more than just a replacement for Nicole C. Mullen (black female with pop sensibilities) on Christian radio. She is an important CCM artist in her own right regardless of demographics or genres and deserves all the attention she is getting.

Thank you Mandisa for being bold in your faith- for not hiding Christ behind positive and vague lyricism- and sharing truth and encouragement through the songs that you sing. Oh and thanks too for making the music fun!