Mandisa- Out of the Dark


Radio Ready: Bleed the Same, Unfinished, I'm Still Here, Back to Life, The One He Speaks Through

 iPod Picks: Bleed the Same, Unfinished, Back to Life, I'm Still Here, Prove Me Wrong, Comeback Kid

Mandisa has been through quite a few ups and downs in her life and she has never shied away from sharing her personal struggles with her listeners. But after a prolonged bout with depression, after the death of her friend, Kisha, Mandisa has emerged from devastation with a newfound confidence and a matured faith- both of which are on display throughout her comeback album Out of the Dark.

The 18-track album (the deluxe edition is a must buy as the bonus tracks are actually some of the best tracks) is interspersed with interludes that give glimpses into Mandisa's personal journey "out of the dark." The album opens with "Voicemail (Intro)" and features various friends' voicemails as they tried to connect with Mandisa during her reclusive depression. The final interlude "Mothdisa" is a recorded discussion between Mandisa and a friend about how her friends helped her out of her depression.

But what about the music?

Far more upbeat than one would expect from an album dealing with weighty topics such as depressions and crisis of faith, Out of the Dark is chock full of radio anthems and dance tracks rich with spiritual insight and honesty. "I'm Still Here" opens the album with a moody and serious verse before the synths and dance beats jump in during the chorus as Mandisa declares that her "broken is turning beautiful." The declarations of restoration and hope in Christ continue through the 90's-inspired title track, first single "Unfinished" (based on Philippians 1:6), dance tracks "Comeback Kid" and "Shine", the mid-tempo ballads "The One He Speaks Through", "Shame Off" and "Keep Getting Up" and it all comes to a glorious finale in the epic worship ballad "Back to Life" as Mandisa declares that "... because of You, only You, Jesus, I'm coming back to life!" The centerpiece of the album; however, is the lone stark piano ballad "Prove Me Wrong," the first song Mandisa wrote after she started to get help and counseling for her depression. This emotional track details the thoughts many of us fear to voice as we question why God allows pain and suffering in this life.

Not every song on the album is inspired by Mandisa's journey through depression. Mandisa rejoices in her brother's conversion to Christ in the gospel track "Good News" (complete with its own intro: "Praise Report"). She teams up with label-mate Britt Nicole for a sassy reminder to the "ladies" of their self-worth in the somewhat repetitive (and annoying) "What You're Worth." But the most impressive track of all is "Bleed the Same." Mandisa teams up with her former "Lose My Soul" duet partners TobyMac and Kirk Franklin for a powerful and honest plea for the church to take a lead in racial reconciliation. This track could be a massive and impactful radio hit and I hope its her next single.

While there are a few musical missteps throughout (the aforementioned "What You're Worth", the under-usage of Jeremy Camp on the pretty duet "My First Love" and the too slow tempo on her version of Ronnie Freeman's "Keep Getting Up"- which could have been another excellent EDM-flavored dance track) Out of the Dark brims with musical diversity, massive hooks and heartfelt lyrics. It is Mandisa's career-record and should be a must buy for any CCM fan.


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