Natalie Grant Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
God bless Natalie Grant. After surviving two label shutdowns and constant trial-and-error, the powerhouse vocalist finally hit it big with 2005's Awaken, her best-selling fifth studio album. Before that, it was false start after false start -- the singer with the big voice and even bigger Christian pop dreams couldn't seem to get her break. But Awaken was different. For the first time, Grant was finally taking the reins of her career, forging a vision of her own, handling a larger share of the songwriting duties, and opting for a more mature, pop/rock-inflected adult contemporary sound. With Relentless, Grant continues this maturation process, displaying even more artistic autonomy, aggression, and adventurousness than before. For a Christian pop diva, she's certainly taking a lot of risks here, parlaying her potent vocals with fierce pop/rock elements, plus the occasional synth effects, urban-pop affectations, and even a horn section or two. The terrific "Make It Matter" makes use of all of these components, and the result is a glorious pop song -- more interesting and offbeat than a lot of today's Top 40. At times Grant is a little too indiscreet in her attempts at novelty, like on the soulful, sassy "So Long," which sounds too much like KT Tunstall's "Black Horse & a Cherry Tree" to be credited entirely to Grant. Outside of that, she appears most comfortable at delivering substantive, highly polished pop/rock ("I Will Not Be Moved," "Perfect People"), plus enough doses of Grant's own proven, signature pop balladry ("In Better Hands," "Back at My Heart") to satisfy those who fell in love with her beloved hit "Held." As a reference point, you could think of Relentless as the follow-up to Breakaway that Kelly Clarkson failed to deliver after the smash success of that album, except in a Christian pop context. Yes, it's that catchy -- perhaps calculatedly so -- but it's never banal or contrived, like a lot the radio-geared material being produced in the CCM market. ~ Andree Farias, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Natalie Grant follows her Dove Award-nominated work on Awaken with a Christmas album called Believe. Her opening rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful" harks back to Grant's days a gospel singer, while "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow" is lighter and happier (as would be appropriate for such a joyously repetitive song title), Grant's vocal dancing across a jazzy arrangement fluffed up with brass. Her take on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is similarly bold. But besides these pleasant reads of the season's standards, Grant and producer Bernie Herms also explore some original material and expansive arrangements. A breathy "Silver Bells" medleys into an epic "O Holy Night," while the collection's title track is a Grant original that uses the story of the birth of Jesus as a basis for her faith and inspiration. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The light, cross-genre pop of Natalie Grant's 2003 LP, Deeper Life, wore its Christian and inspirational themes well, and gave her powerful vocals plenty of big-note opportunities. A lot of people noticed -- "No Sign of It" had some mainstream success on the soundtrack for Gwyneth Paltrow's View from the Top, and "Live for Today" garnered a Dove Award nod for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. Grant herself was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. Though she released a straightforward praise album in 2004, the singer revisits the sound of Life with the vibrant, heartfelt Awaken. Bright, Crayola-style primary colors burst from its lyric book, and the extensive photography features Grant smiling comfortably in contemporary fashions akin to a country-pop diva. (The look befits her duet with Wynonna on the modernist country gospel of "Bring It All Together.") The Mother Theresa prayer quoted in its liners points to Grant's Christian heart, and the title track speaks to the Lord directly while showcasing her soaring vocal. But Awaken is happy to praise Jesus over sparkling alternative-derived guitar pop, as "Something Beautiful," "Captured," or the Michelle Branch-style "What Are You Waiting For" prove. It also takes the non-specific approach -- lyrics like "Everywhere your love surrounds me" can be as romantic as they are reverent. "Another Day" is a tribute to family, while "Home" is an ambitious ballad complete with soaring strings. "You Move Me" returns to referencing the Lord directly over slick, reverby acoustic guitar, and "Live for Today" is another confidence booster/worship song defined by its rousing chorus. Though strong, the melodies on Awaken sometimes feel recycled, and its manicured instrumentation lessens the power of Grant's singing voice. But the album is still a capable blend of Christian themes with mainstream pop texture, meaning it deserves the same accolades Deeper Life received. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
'Worship With Natalie Grant and Friends'
Release Date 4/20/2004
Tracks 14
Label Sony
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's too early in her career to know whether this powerhouse singer/songwriter will ever reach the heights of Contemporary Christian Music's other Grant (Amy), but a bevy of top producers come on board this sparkling debut to launch Natalie Grant towards this goal. All of these studio wizards (Eric Foster White, Tommy Sims, and Michael Lloyd) are better-known for their secular pop music, and the variety of atmospheres they create poise Grant for crossover pop success. It also helps that the lyrics Grant sings are designed as inspirational, rather than preachy. Torchy tracks like "I Am Not Alone" and rock-driven anthems like "I Will Be" could definitely lead both teenagers looking for substance, and adult contemporary audiences, to a deeper examination of important spiritual issues. Grant's wide-ranging pipes (yes, think potential diva) would surely sound great without all the production energy, but nearly every up-tempo tune here is an irresistible mix of pop/rock and modern soul flavors. The title track is all thump and hook, and some of the vocal texturing will remind fans of Point of Grace. Another POG-like tune, "Days Like These," is driven by jangly alternative pop guitars. A few tracks touch on simple exotica, most notably "Love Without Limits" with its swirling flamenco strings. Amidst the playful spirit is Grant's most heartfelt tune, a lush and teary, almost breathless tribute to her father, "Always Be Her Baby." This tune alone indicates that we're dealing with a major new talent whose deeper life extends from the spiritual into the musical. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Natalie Grant's Stronger is one of the rarest treasures in Christian music: an original album that has a distinct voice and style. With so many CCM pop stars making decent but faceless music, it is a relief to see that there are still albums like this floating around. With a powerhouse voice and top-notch songwriters, Grant brings to mind a wholesome Britney Spears at some points and a spiritual Faith Hill at others. In fact, it is pretty weird to hear what would ordinarily be typical radio pop filled with lyrics about Christian topics and ideologies. But it works; in fact, it works very well. This is one of the freshest approaches to this genre in quite a while, bringing to mind Amy Grant's groundbreaking Heart in Motion. Much like the other Grant, Natalie Grant puts her emphasis on the hooks, something that most CCM artists put in a distant second behind their message. Because of this, she not only gets her message across, but gets it across using music that anyone could get into. This is a very good album that points to the direction that CCM has the potential to go in. Despite the stigma that the genre has with mainstream audiences, any fan of solid pop music should at least give this a chance. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
