GIRL WITH GUITAR PROVIDES INSPIRING SOUNDTRACK OF STRUGGLE
Christian music can be guilty of sugarcoating reality to make songs safer for radio playlists and setting up a façade that living a life under the Lord is nothing but roses. Though singer/songwriter Joy Whitlock is certainly thankful that being a believer helps her navigate through choppy waters, she’s more interested in expressing that unbreakable faith from the perspective of personal struggle (which she candidly admits ranged from drugs to promiscuity in her pre-salvation days).
It’s no wonder then that the rootsy guitar prods of “Faith Don’t Fail” appear to come from such an authentic place, with Whitlock leaning firmly on those beliefs to resist temptations and negativity. The mighty organic strums and pleading vocals of “Testify” key into specific moments of falling away, but point to Jesus’ ultimate grace to cover over our many offenses. The brooding swirls of “Fake” find the newcomer turning in her most passionate performance, concurrently dispelling the idea of letting guilt get the best of anyone.
Despite citing Sarah McLachlan as an influence, the likeness shows up more readily in her songwriting (such as the highly heartfelt “Holding Onto Me”) than from a stylistic perspective. Rather, Whitlock could be compared to secular duo Tegan and Sara, the retired but not forgotten Jennifer Knapp, a more aggressive Adie or even fellow freshman Brooke Barrettsmith. But no matter what the make-up, God and a Girl is best viewed as a candid conversation between the artist and her Creator that’s likely to find an applicable place with the public at large. –Andy Argyrakis
