Since the year 2000, Rachael Lampa has been one of the most successful female artists in the industry. With four number one singles to her name and three highly acclaimed studio albums, Lampa returns to music after a few years of musical quietness. She first came back on the scene with her independent EP Human. Now in 2011, she is married, signed to a major label, and ready to take the world by storm again with her fourth full-length studio album All We Need.

The album starts out with the incredibly upbeat and optimistic title track. Lampa’s soaring vocals fit perfectly over the light pop beat as she belts out “Love is all we need!”

Lead single “Remedy” is the second song on the album. This piano-led track features sick urban beats, glossy strings, and inspiring lyrics. This was the perfect song to re-introduce Rachael’s voice to radio.

“Savior’s Face” is a sunny track that speaks of how humans can only be saved by Jesus Christ. Rachael’s vocals are particularly strong and urgent in the song’s sonic chorus.

The album’s first ballad “Beauty’s Just a Word” comes next. A beautiful song with moving lyrics shows off Rachael’s incredible vocal prowess. The backing strings provide an epic feeling to the song.

“No Escape” is a funky urban with zesty horn programming and a sing-a-long chorus. “Uncharted Territory” is a touching pop ballad that addresses the topic of feeling vulnerable and unprepared for something.

“Elevate” is an incredibly gorgeous song that sounds musically similar to Rebecca St. James or Charmaine. Lyrically, the song is an inspiring track about changing your life.

“My One and Only” at first seems like a ballad with a soft piano intro. However, the track suddenly switches gears an turns into a full-fledged dance track. It’s nice to hear a catchy dance song with a great vocalist to go along as well.

“Run to You” is a pop ballad with steady beats and a light chorus. “Feel”, the album’s final main track is a beautiful piano-driven song that showcases Rachael’s incredible, breathy vocals.

“Human”, the first of two bonus tracks, is the title track from Rachael’s EP of the same name. A duet with Johnny Lang, the song mainly uses guitar and piano as far as instrumentation goes, while lyrically it speaks of how even celebrities are human and make mistakes.

“Live for You (2011)” is the final song on the album. Originally recorded for her debut album by the same name, this version has been completely updated with a light-dance vibe. Also, Rachael’s vocals have been refined in these eleven years so it sounds smoother and clearer than on the first release.

Digital versions of the album also include an acoustic version of her song “Blessed” from her debut album.

Overall, All We Need is a wonderful addition to Rachael Lampa’s extensive musical catalogue and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

For over seven years, Bethany Dillon has been one of the defining women in Christian music. With five albums and a handful of hits to her name, Bethany is known for her earthy, acoustic sound that is perfect for sunny days.

Beautiful: The Hits Collection is the first greatest hits album released by Bethany and it’s an interesting mix of music. The album starts out with the title track from her debut album self-titled album. “Beautiful” is a lovely song about honoring and blessing God. One of her biggest hits, it fits nicely here and works well as the title of the collection. “All I Need” comes next. Arguably her biggest hit of all time, this bouncy little ditty is a praiseful song about God’s love.

“Lead Me On” is a fantastic rendition of Amy Grant’s number-one hit. Bethany’s vocals fit the song well and the production as an updated, rock feel to it. “For My Love” is a beautiful song about Bethany’s then future husband (as she is married now). It’s a nice track, although I feel “Great Big Mystery” or “Exodus”, also from her debut, would have worked just as well.

After the four tracks from her debut, the album launches right into her sophomore album Imagination. Imagination was, in my opinion, a very dry album with only a few interesting tracks. “Dreamer” is one of the better tracks from the album. Used in the film Dreamer starring Dakota Fanning, the song is very reminiscent of “All I Need”.

“Hallelujah” is a worshipful hit from Imagination that sounds strangely similar to Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway”. “All That I Can Do”, the biggest hit and my favorite track from Imagination, is an exciting pop/rock track that resembles Rebecca St. James or Joy Williams.

The final representation of Imagination is the track “I Believe In You”. This one of the most boring tracks from the album and feels very generic. “New” or “Vagabond” would have been a much better choice, but like I said, the pickings from Imagination are thin.

Two of the “rare” tracks follow. This marketing campaign of 4 “rare” tracks is a little misleading considering you can get all four songs off of iTunes individually. However, “Holy is the Lord” and “Hero” are both fantastic tracks that are definitely worthy enough to be included.

Dillon’s third album, Waking Up was her absolute best in my opinion and it’s sad to see that only tracks are lifted from it. “Let Your Light Shine” is an absolutely stunning piano-led ballad and “When You Love Someone” is a jingly pop/country tune. However, where is lead single “The Kingdom”? It’s absolutely nowhere to be found, which is quite a shame.

Even more distasteful is the shunning of Bethany’s fourth album Stop & Listen. Another solid release, only lead single “Everyone to Know” is included (which is fantastic). Where is “Stop & Listen” or “Get Up and Walk”? Two very strong songs that would have made great inclusions.

The final track of the album is a cover of “How Great Is Our God”, which is a nice addition and a soft closing to the album.

Overall, the album could have been much worse, but Beautiful is still not a perfect release. Bethany could have easily squeeze three or more songs on the album, preferably from her last two albums and maybe “We Can Work It Out” from 2008’s So Far: The Acoustic Sessions, which has no inclusions. This is a probably an album worthy of skipping unless you are just discovering Bethany or are a diehard fan needing to complete your collection.

It’s been almost five and a half years since a new Rebecca St. James albums has been available for her devoted fans. Now in 2011, St. James sheds her rock image and presents the third worship album of her career I Will Praise You.

The album begins with the effervescent title track that is upbeat, worshipful, and exciting. The song has St. James’ signature style stamped all over it. It’s a compelling, catchy tune that will sure to stick in your head for days.

Unlike previous worship albums such Worship God and Live Worship, I Will Praise You is almost completely void of cover songs, opting for an original approach. However, two covers are included, one of them being “You Never Let Go” originally by Matt Redman. Rebecca adds a wonderful pop/rock flavor to the song and her voice is in top form.

Lead single “Shine Your Glory Down” is a rock-infused gem that will make you want to rock out and praise God. The song has an extremely cheerful melody and undeniably catchy lyrics.

“You Still Amaze Me” is a heartfelt mid-tempo track reminiscent of “Take All of Me” from 2005’s If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something. “In a Moment” is one of the album highlights with a soft, piano-driven beginning that builds into an epic crescendo with full drums and echoing background vocals. The song is a passionate, worshipful moment.

“The Kindness of Our God” is a beautiful song that features Rebecca’s flawless upper vocal register. It’s laden with gorgeous bagpipes that add a wonderful flavor to the track. “When the Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor)” is a soft, fervent piece of art that Rebecca paints with her gorgeous vocals.

“Almighty God” is an urgent message to those searching for a loving God. Rebecca sings gleefully about Jesus’ powerful love. “You Hold Me Now” is a musical masterpiece with stunning vocals and deep, honest lyrics.

The final track on the album, “You Make Everything Beautiful” is a tender piece that showcases Rebecca’s absolutely beautiful voice. Throughout all of the beautiful instrumentation and sincere lyrics, Rebecca’s voice is the true standout gem of the album with its delicate accent and passionate urgency. She easily hits every note with perfect ease, something that many mainstream artists can’t do without the use of auotune.

Overall, I Will Praise You is one of Rebecca St. James’ finest works to date. It’s very different than her other releases, but that’s the beauty of Rebecca; she’s always building in her previous works and maturing the sound of her music. Congratulations to you Rebecca, for making a beautiful album that stands out above the rest.