Kristyn Leigh

The promo material on Kristyn Leigh’s sophomore release, “The Heavy & the Holy,” mentions the dichotomy of her personality.

It draws me in instantly, for I'm a big fan of dichotomy, defined as "a division of two mutually exclusive entities, something with seemingly contradictory qualities." I say bring it.

The music of Kristyn Leigh is a delightful sweet and sour package: it rocks, but it's pop, she comes on strong but openly confesses her vulnerability, it's hard, but it's pretty. Aptly named, it sings of the heavy and the holy. From the emotive "Invisible," to the stark honesty of rockers "Bulletproof Girl" and "Pent Up," to the moody soundscapes of orchestral rock ballad "Glimpse," Leigh bravely explores all sides of her gifting and calling.

"I have always been different," she says. "I love to sing the old hymns of the church, but at the same time I love to rock out in a long pink skirt." I don't know what she's wearing but her gorgeous rendition of "The Old Rugged Cross" holds up. She's got the talent and apparently the burden to reach out to young people with her message of freedom and self-acceptance. And the dichotomy of her personality only doubles our pleasures, from what I'm hearing. Look for God to use this young woman with the liberating message in her great music.