Crystal Clear

About

From the start, Jaci Velasquez stood out among the younger crowd of 1990s-era Christian artists. Scoring chart-topping hits in both the Christian and Latin secular markets, she was already a well-established artist when she released <i>Crystal Clear</i> in 2000. Overall, this album seemed a bid to please as wide an audience as possible — torrid R&B/salsa fusions (“Escuchame”), high-gloss pop tunes (“Every Time I Fall”), power ballads (“Just A Prayer Away”) and worldbeat-tinged rock songs (the title track) are mixed and matched here. Velasquez has the personality and vocal chops to pull off all these styles, infusing them with sensual immediacy. This is not your grandmother’s gospel music — in fact, tracks like “You Don’t Miss A Thing” and “Imagine Me Without You” are close to being conventional love songs that happen to mention Jesus. Theological quibbles aside, <i>Crystal Clear</i> is a consistently energizing and superbly-arranged effort with no false steps sonically. Jaci’s evangelism stirs the body as it holds out the promise of the Holy Spirit. If she brings the listener to the Lord, it will surely be in a conga line.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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