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The amazing Amanda Falk, yet another wondrous gift from the artic airs of Canada. They’re doing something very, very right up there, eh?
Here is the biggest perk of my job: I get to hear lots of new music. And every once in a while, I strike the mother lode. I find an artist whose music just blows me away. Enter Amanda Falk, Canadian singer/songwriter whose songs bring the same sharp insights and intelligence as those of Nichole Nordeman. She revels in uncluttered arrangements that allow her pensive music to shine through like the Northern Star. Falk addresses the "stuff of life," love lost, the pressures of youth, loss, with a sensitivity that comes from honestly engaging with life and her listeners. She's already found significant success in Canada, receiving the 2006 Juno Award for best Contemporary Christian Album of the Year, among other awards, and single "Small" is all over Canadian radio. "Small" represents Falk well, as a number of tracks on her self-titled debut fall into the category of gently introspective piano ballads, enhanced by lush strings and sparkling vocals. But it's her lyrics that really stand out, and the brave honesty contained within them. She's very generous, this wonderful Amanda Falk. Pop tune "Endless" questions the traps set for our young women by the culture's endless demands for standardized external beauty. It's a topic dear to Falk's heart, as evidenced by her support of the BUG Group (don't worry, it's "beautiful unique girl"). Falk makes a powerful case for their anguish: "See her eyes fall, when she looks in the mirror, Never satisfied, with what she sees there, Will she ever look past her own perception, Cause she never measures up, To the pictures in the magazines, She's never good enough." There are grace notes of quiet beauty sprinkled through the album. Take note of the quiet percussive additions that add to the lush sound of "Give Me a Chance." The open disclosure of the exquisite and adoring "Undone" only strengthens its message of trust. And lest you think Amanda Falk can't rock when she wants to, check out the twangy pop-rocker "Sense of Wonder," another standout track. "It Was You" is another luxuriant piano ballad, a paean of faith. My favorite track is the achingly lovely "Charade," in which Falk's gut-wrenching truth-telling is nothing less than stunning. We thank thee, O Canada, for maple trees, ice hockey, and Amanda Falk. (And I'm totally guessing about the trees and hockey part).
The copyright of the article Amanda Falk Review in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish Amanda Falk Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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