Dara Maclean

Citing Crystal Lewis as one of her inspirations, Maclean has said that she owns and has listened to every Lewis' record.  And it shows; Maclean's expressive and supple alto has the same soulful gravitas as that of her heroine.  However, never constrained by the soulful Gospel slant often associated with Lewis, Maclean is not bashful in incorporating elements of Lauryn Hill's hip hop, Amy Winehouse's neo-soul and Norah Jones' R&B jazz into her own sound.  Picking up where her debut "You Got My Attention" left us, she gives us a splendid exhibition of her blue-eyed singing over these 12 newly composed entries.  Again her mettle as a songwriter shines right through as she co-wrote all of the songs here with Contemporary Christian Music's (CCM) notable scribes such as Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, Dave Barnes and Cindy Morgan.  Nevertheless, on board this time is producer and aforementioned co-writer Paul Mabury (Darlene Zschech, Hillsong United & Vertical Church).

Described as the nerve center of the record, the single "Wanted" has an universal appeal.  Speaking of our need to belong and loved, "Wanted" is the type of song that will strike a chord with every pounding heart.  And putting some indelible images in our hearts that go hand in hand with the song is the video which was shot on the small Mexican island of Isla Mujeres which shows the dire need of these local children dying to be loved. "Step into the Light' is the perfect follow-up to 'Wanted."  This co-write between Maclean and Cindy Morgan continues on the same lyrical trajectory that God has created in us with this desire to be loved and wanted.  And we won't be truly satisfied until we step into the light.  Riding the bullet train right into the heart is the Paul Mabury, Dustin Ebach and Dara Maclean composed "Set My People Free."  Few songs deal with the atrocity of human trafficking as effective as "Set My People Free."  The thunderous bass and drum heavy chorus rhetorically remind us of God's words to Pharaoh in the book of Exodus demanding that God's people be released from slavery. 

While it is common parlance in country songs to structure songs around stories, it is less frequent in CCM. Thus, it is a treat to hear the narrative based "Our Only Hope" stringing together two stories of how sin can consume our lives.  The first deals with a woman who has been abused before with the second being a man who lived under the tyranny of his controlling dad.  "Our Only Hope" speaks of how only Christ can bring healing and restoration.  When Maclean sings of how the protagonist of the second story could "memorize the lies" he has been told by his earthly dad, one can't help but feel the depths of his pain. Maclean steps into the worship genre with the piano and string-laden "You Are All I Need" where she does not just speak about God.  Rather, here she speaks to God in a helpless vernacular that is such comfort to hear as she cries to the Almighty: "You take me to the mountain, take me to the depths/ Take me to the fountain when I have nothing left/ You lift my head, You lift my head." While "Nobody But You" finds Maclean breaking all barriers of predictability with her most engaging soulful do wop that will get us clapping along and doing our Jackson 5 impersonations.

Recently married, Maclean specifically wrote "Made" for her big day.  Wedding songs are often dripped with so much over wrought mawkish clichés that we will find ourselves having a toothache afterwards.  This is not so with "Made."  Avoiding all the Hallmark quips, "Made" sparkles with originality when Maclean describes how her husband made her feel:  "When I saw you it was different/ You were autumn, you were Christmas/ My perfect gift from Heaven's door/ I've never been loved before you."  Yes, you may hear influences of Crystal Lewis, Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones, but at the end of the day, Maclean is her own self.  She is never one to settle for the trite and true; she is not just content to stick with what "works" in CCM; she is determined to lead us to Christ in ways that are fresh, exciting and sometimes even surprising.