Beauty Has Grace (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Jaci Velasquez (background vocals); Jaci Velasquez (vocals); Andreas Olsson (guitar, electric guitar, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Wurlitzer organ, Mellotron, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, programming, drum programming); Martin Terefe (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, Wurlitzer organ, bass guitar, drums, percussion, background vocals); Mark Lusk (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Claes Björklund (electric guitar, synthesizer, programming); Nathaniel Chan (electric guitar); David Davidson , David Angell (violin); Kristin Wilkinson (viola); Anthony LaMarchina (cello); Javier Solís (drums); Ian Fitchuk (piano, keyboards, background vocals); Christer Jansson (drums, percussion); Michael Clarke (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Martin Terefe; Joe Baldridge.

Recording information: A'postrophe Studios, Brentwood, TN; Kensaltown Recording Studios, London, England; Little Big Studio, Bellevue, TN; Quad Studios, Nashville, TN.

Editor: Andy Hunt.

Photographer: Kristin Barlowe.

Jaci Velasquez's 2005 English-language album shows that she had grown past the teeny-bopper tag that greeted her early releases (she had been called, on more than one occasion, the Christina Aguilera of the Contemporary Christian Music set). While Velasquez's strong Christian beliefs are still at the center of her music (note "Something Wonderful" and "Reason to Believe" here), BEAUTY HAS GRACE sports a new, mature, and immediately appealing sound that draws inspiration from modern alternative rock. Most of the songs are guitar-dominated, with a slick, poppy polish that keeps things both energized and accessible.

The main ingredient is still the singer's voice, which is dusky, alluring, and particularly well suited to the stylistic direction of BEAUTY HAS GRACE. There is a sensuous, plaintive ache in Velasquez's singing that is equally effective on shimmering mid-tempo rockers ("With All My Soul") and hushed, emotive ballads ("Lay It Down"). Velasquez also shares writing credits on most of the songs, making this one of her most personal artistic statements. In addition to pleasantly surprising CCM fans following Velasquez's career, BEAUTY HAS GRACE should easily win converts from the pop and alt-rock camps. minimize