Artist: Sarah Kelly
Album: Take Me Away
Label: Gotee Records
Rating:
Reviewer: Bryanna Tago

Breathtaking. Impressive. Extraordinary. These are just some of the words that have been and can be applied to a new artist from Gotee Records: Sarah Kelly. Alright, so you’re probably thinking "Sarah Ke…who?!" I understand.. she’s a new artist and she’s also a Christian artist. But you need to hear about her. You need to listen to this album. Even if Christianity isn’t your thing, Sarah Kelly has amazing vocal ability and style that is pleasing to your ears even if the words aren’t. Sarah Kelly is also the highest new artist debut in Gotee Records’ ten-year history. "Working with Sarah Kelly is a dream come true for us at Gotee," says Gotee Director of Marketing Ben Eisner, "she is one of the hardest working artists I have ever come across."

I saw Kelly perform live at the 2004 Master’s Commission Conference back in February and I was blown away. Her music is fresh and presents something new to the table. The problem many artists have is they sound FANTASTIC on their album (yay for studio work and awesome techies!) but when they are handed a mic and placed in front of a couple thousand people, the sound that emits from their mouth is barely reminiscent of what you just heard on the radio. Sarah Kelly sounds phenomenal live; when I purchased her debut album the week it came out, I was not let down. I immediately skipped to did that night in February. Sarah Kelly is genuine – her talent is real. Which is a lot more than I can say for other artists..

Back to the album. Kelly’s first single off of her debut album (the title track "Take Me Away") is holding strong in the top ten on the Christian charts. But there’s more to this album than the first song. This is an album that possesses numerous standout tracks. Kelly writes songs that everyone.. ANYONE can relate to. "Take Me Away" is about her journey with destiny, while "Matter of Time" was written from the perspective of looking upward and staying positive and optimistic even when you are down on your luck. "All I See" is a standout track that really showcases Kelly’s voice. The music is soft and luminous.. And all you really hear is the beauty and serenity of Kelly’s voice. It is in fact, Kelly’s voice, that gets a lot of recognition. Youthworker certainly agrees. In their March/April issue, they say "Sarah Kelly possesses the wildest, most riveting voice...but her sandpaper pipes can get soft and silky on command as well. Plus, she’s a piano-playing, insightful songwriter with years of solo touring on the worship circuit. It’s still early, but Kelly’s the frontrunner for best new artist of 2004." Again I say – for all of the praise and recognition, Kelly has the talent to back it up. Check her out for yourself.

One thing I need to make clear is, there is no doubt that this is a Christian album and that Kelly is a Christian. But this album redefines Christian music today and it will certainly make you think differently. Even if you aren’t a Christian, Sarah Kelly is someone you can relate to, someone you can sing along to, and definitely someone you can respect as an artist.