For her second secular album, former Christian pop star Stacie Orrico eases into another enjoyable set of catchy R&B/dance-tinged tunes. While most of the high-profile producers and songwriters from Orrico's previous effort are gone, Dallas Austin co-pens "Dream You," a charmingly mellow tune that allows her dynamic voice to glide over percussive loops and a gentle acoustic-guitar line. The song, not surprisingly, turns out to be one of BEAUTIFUL AWAKENING's finest tracks.
Beautiful Awakening finds vocalist Stacie Orrico not only delivering more of the R&B soaked pop she perfected on her 2003 self-titled sophomore effort, but also maturing as an artist and a woman. Only 17 when she released her previous album, Orrico owns her womanhood here, focusing on such subjects as falling love and keeping true to yourself. Although there is not as heavy a Christian aesthetic evinced here as on her debut album, by no means does she seem to be dropping her spirituality. In fact, tracks such as "So Simple," "Dream You" and "Take Me Away" reveal Orrico's knack for a fresh and melodic neo-soul sound with a bent toward lyrics about inner beauty, true love and happiness. In that sense, Orrico often seems like a balanced mix of such contemporaries as Corinne Bailey Rae and Christina Aguilera. These are heartfelt, hummable and sometimes funky tracks that truly showcase Orrico's growing vocal talent and pop charisma. ~ Matt Collar minimize