Home: R : Raylene Scarrott : Review

Taken Review

2004-08-13 - This is surely a disc that you'll be Taken with.

Raylene's debut Taken is characterized by radio-friendly melodies with gently latin-styled instrumentation and upbeat pop sounds that will appeal to a wide audience who enjoy contemporary Christian music. Raylene really has a strong grasp on her vocal expression and performs each lyric with passion and invests herself in every word. From the opening track 'Somebody Did This' to the title track 'Taken,' the theme of being Taken by God's amazing love is wonderfully described, and it's obvious that Raylene's music comes from a heart brought to life by the personal experience of the awesome love of God. Featuring 11 songs crafted by well-known writer-producers such as Billy Sprague, Scott Krippayne, Todd Collins, Regie Hamm and others, this is surely a disc that you'll be Taken with.

Lush production highlights tracks such as the moving pop ballad 'Unexpected,' a beautiful song that reflects on the human experience of finding God's love: 'I had all but given up / Then suddenly ... It was unexpected / The love I found in You.' 'Unexpected' is also one of two tracks on this album that have a relaxing instrumental intro track. Raylene's vocals really shine on tracks such as 'This Is The Sound,' in which you can easily visualize her smiling joy as she sings. This track starts quieter with ethereal touches and light dance beats that match the lyrics, though you may very well wish tracks such as this had softer acoustic touches as Raylene has to share the spotlight here with the over-produced music.

The best track on this album, with a melody in the verses very similar to Michael W. Smith's 'I Know Your Name,' is 'Who Am I,' which not only asks the question but answers 'I am Your child / I will follow / You gave Your life / For my tomorrow.' Raylene succeeds here in combining a worshipful spirit of commitment and declaration with contemporary pop sensibilities, and the result is an inspiring song that challenges all of us to ask the same question and make our response. It's no surprise that 'Who Am I' has had great success on Canadian Christian radio.

Review by: CCM Planet