| 4th
April, 2006
JUSTIN
MICHAEL
Artist: ZOEgirl
Album: With All Of My Heart: Greatest Hits
Label:
Sparrow, 2006
Enhanced
content: No
In A Word: Encouraging
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"ZOEgirl have stamped their imprint on Christian
music and if you’ve missed the journey so far,
this is a great starting point."
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It’s hard
to fathom how a band that only began producing music in 2000
can already have a ‘best of’ disc. The cynic in
me would suggest that this was simply a way to fulfil a recording
contract. The fan in me would say this is a great way to access
the catalogue of music from ZOEgirl, a band that by any measurement
have been prolific in their output so far.
In the five years since 2000’s self titled ZOEgirl
was released, there have been three full studio albums, 2001’s
Life, 2002’s remix album, Mix of Life,
2003’s Different Kind of Free, and the 2005
release Room To Breathe. With All Of My Heart
will more than likely be the best way for new fans to catch
up on a band that doesn’t seem to have taken any time
off for five years!
Comprising three female vocalists - Chrissy Conway, Alissa
Girard (yep, Chuck’s daughter!) and Kristin Swinford
- ZOEgirl has carved themselves a place at the top of the
contemporary Christian music scene, selling more than a million
records and becoming the biggest selling female group on Sparrow
Records in 25 years, touring feverishly and, among other things,
producing great music that encourages, uplifts and challenges.
The most obvious thrust in ZOEgirl’s music is their
passion for encouraging young women through songs like You
Get Me which explains that if no-one else ‘gets
you’ God does. The brilliant 2005 single Scream
visits the same theme and states that while the rest of the
world seems to ignore our pain even if we scream, our Heavenly
Father is always there for us. It’s these kind of universal
themes that carry ZOEgirl’s music to such a wide audience.
Songs like Different Kind of Free (2003), About
You (2005), Beautiful Name (2003) and Even
If (2001) carry a level of wisdom that is rare in any
form of pop music. There is a real sense that these girls
know what they’re preaching about and the audience loves
them for it.
ZOEgirl have stamped their imprint on Christian music and
if you’ve missed the journey so far, this is a great
starting point.
The album also includes two new tunes: One Day and
Unchangeable.
Justin
Michael can be heard weekday mornings on Geelong-based radio
station 96.3 - www.rhemafm.org.au.
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