An Album that Empowers
Posted August 27, 2014
By DwayneLacy_NRT, Staff Reviewer
For a while it was taboo for Christian artists to write songs dealing with relationships or life situations. Rachael Messini has been one to do this even when it was not very popular to do so. She (along with brothers Je'kob and Josh Washington) made waves and blazed trails as the Souljahz. Later, she and Je'kob became to the duo, The Washington Projects. Now, as a solo artist, Rachael releases Honestly, an album that is completely Rachael which is good ol' life music.
Wives who are trying to have a child or woman who had trouble having children will be able to identify to the beautiful "Selah." This touching tribute to Rachael's daughter (named "Selah") has her giving God praise for allowing her to give birth to her against all odds. The song also finds Rachael giving Selah advice for the future.
The beat is so ill on "Falling Together" that your face will frown in musical delight. Rachael spits some nice bars of solidarity and unity for her marriage. Je'kob lends his sister a hand over the banging "Smoking Gun," which deals with the damage that the tongue can do when it is not controlled.
Rachael is not one to give a lot of riffs or runs, and that serves to her advantage. Check out how sweetly she breathes life into the the title track, "Honestly," by way of the lovely vocal stylings. Listen to Je'kob as he subtly serves as a hype man on certain parts of the song. Rachael releases this album at such a perfect time, especially with the recent news of people committing suicide and so many people feeling hopeless. "Free" is light-hearted ditty of Rachael singing of God's grace to do what that the title suggests.
"Better" keeps the empowerment going, but this time Rachael admonishes the single ladies not to settle for the "dogs" (men who play the field), while rapper Beleaf tells the fellas to imagine if there children were treated the way they are treating the ladies. In summation, Rachael tells the ladies to know who they are in Christ while Beleaf challenges the men to check their intentions. Before you claim male bashing, Rachael and Canon send a shout-out to the strong men who are serving God, taking care of their families and their business on "Firemen."
Closing Thoughts:
On Honestly, Rachael delivers and people who are not churched will enjoy the message. Although Christian artists have been accused (deserved and undeserved) of being unoriginal, Rachael has been rapping and singing over beats for a long while now. Although there were a couple of songs where I wished she would have left out her bars rapping, this is definitely an album to support.
Song to Download Now:
"Falling Together" (Get it on iTunes here.) View All Music And Book Reviews By DwayneLacy_NRT | View DwayneLacy_NRT's Profile
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