Review by Laura Wutzke Owens has always refused to step back from difficult issues

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Send mail to The Voice Owens' latest album reflects a stronger faith Ginny Owens continues to impress listeners with her unique voice. -Rocketown Records, photo In Ginny Owens' second album, "Something More," she maintains the strong songwriting that characterized her first album, "Without Condition," and adds depth to her dealings with life's difficulties. Owens has always refused to step back from difficult issues in her songwriting, and in this album she admits that the Christian life is not easy. The insight of Owens' vocals is impressive for someone still in her 20s. Her lyrics are markedly more mature in this album; they reveal a struggle with passion and doubt that speaks well to this generation. In her first song, "Prelude," Owens sings about her disenchantment with changing the world. "It wasn't long 'til the lightning flashed. The storms of disenchantment crashed, and my ambitions were scattered by the winds of doubt. And it wasn't long 'til I learned to see life wouldn't be easy for me." Much of Owens' maturity and depth are the result of the three-year gap between her two albums. In the interval, the enormous pressures that mounted after the huge success of her first album broadsided Owens. Soon after the release of her first album, Owens was widely accepted into the Christian music industry, and she began a quick crossover into general markets as well. The demands of her new career forced Owens to return to the foundation of her faith. This foundation began with difficult situations. Owens became blind after being born with poor eyesight. She aspired to be a music teacher but met opposition from employers who only saw her blindness. Owens signed a songwriting contract and released her first album in 1999. The lyrics of "Something More" reflect Owens' ongoing life struggle with pain, doubt and adversity. In her title track she wonders if life has something more to it. "There's gotta be something more than running circles for a living. Gotta be something better than just trying to survive. Gotta be some important puzzle piece that I am missing. Gotta be something more to life." This something more is Owens' simple yet not simplistic faith. Instead of oversimplifying her belief, Owens admits that not all of life's questions will remain unanswered. As her lyrics deal with more serious and difficult issues, her strong melodies and unique vocal styles beat on. This album has stronger rhythms than her first album, and the piano accompaniment heard on her first album continues to highlight her soulful voice. This soul continues in her second album, although some distinct R&B elements and synthesizers clutter her voice's purity. Owens' voice is unique and keeps listeners interested without annoying them. A few songs from "Something More" flaunt her signature style of vocal improvisation and give listeners a taste of her voice's depth. In the end, it is the depth and quality of Owens' lyrics on "Something More" that exceeds that of her first album. But while her unique voice remains, the manipulation of its purity by machines dumbs down the music. Her sound and songs on this album are good but not as good as on her first breakthrough album. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Reviews | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2002 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.