Jennifer Knapp
Lay It Down
Gotee Records
2000

It seems you have start with the accolades, so let's get them out of the way: multiple Dove awards and nominations, GMA's New Artist of the Year, 1999 summer Lilith Fair tour, blah, blah, blah. Let's just say she's been well received--and with good reason. On to the music.

This Kansas native offers introspective acoustic based music with a bit of an edge. Overall I found Lay It Down to be a fairly diverse collection of gems. The album features a variety of arrangements and tempos that keep songs from drifting into one another. She blends blues, folk, and rock into a mix that's… well… pleasing. You want to curl up with the liner notes and listen to the whole album.

A few things help accomplish that, one being the instrumentation and production. Jennifer Knapp's acoustic guitar is often accompanied with a mix of either electric guitar, organs, strings, or even a mandolin. Add to that a diverse range of tempos, from upbeat rock to earthy praise. Finally there's Knapp's writing which is personal but not always obvious. The result is good music.

The album starts with 'A Little More, a rising song about the grace we don't deserve. 'Usher Me Down' slows things down with a peaceful, reverberating chorus. 'Into You' is the edgiest song on the album, calling for God to "relieve me from myself, bring me into You." 'All Consuming Fire' is the praise song that defies expectations--it questions how God can love us, which prompts us to worship. But the song never rises above its humble percussion to be the echoing praise anthem you'd expect--which is a nice change. The mandolin brings a unique sound to 'Diamond in the Rough' and 'When Nothing Satisfies.'

Unfortunately, I don't think the album has an edgy, gritty rocker quite as fun as 'Undo Me,' but a sophomore album isn't about recreating the success of the first album. Knapp is moving forward with Lay It Down, and the result makes you want to sit back and listen. (Kevin H.)