Fun pop. Nuff said. | Posted October 09, 2013
Fast Lane is the debut EP from Natalie Villa. A rookie in the industry by no means, Natalie steps out front and center in this upbeat, dance album. Natalie has featured for artists such as Canon, Derek Minor and Chad Jones and has been a featured worship leader at many conferences in the U.S. and Canada.
The album starts with the title track "Fast Lane." The bass hits really hard and you can't help but start moving to the rhythm. The song is about moving from a place of insecurity into discovering our identity in Christ. The fast lane is the life we think will lead us to happiness until we realize we are completely empty without Jesus in our lives. In a time of Miley Cyrus's twerking it is always refreshing to have a young woman who our young ladies can listen to and have as a positive influence in their lives.
Up next is "Turn It Around." The sound changes from an upbeat dance song to something driven with electric guitars and a straight drum beat. It is a little less original sounding than the first track and is reminiscent of standard Christian pop fare. The message remains constant in this song and gives glory to Jesus to being able to turn our lives around from the direction that we may be pointed.
Back to the dance vibe in "LOL." A heavy electronica sounding drum line along with synth and processed vocals are on the menu for this fun song. As the title suggests, the song is about the joy that Christ brings us and she even pays homage to the Sunday school favorite, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart." The message is simple the sound is fun. This one should be a standard at vacation bible schools everywhere next summer.
Things slow down with the piano driven, "The Center." Natalie goes back to her worship roots and displays some real vocal chops in this one. It is an artist's prayer about keeping God as the center no matter how much she accomplishes: "I could have it all, It wouldn't mean anything, if you're not the center of my life. If I don't have you, then I don't have anything, if you're not the center of it all."
The album closes with a remix of "LOL." This version features more guitar and straighter drum beat. It is closer in sound to "Turn It Around." There is rap feature from Liquid and a vocal feature from her husband, Marco "Oracle" Lobos. It is a nice finish to the album, but when there are only five songs on an album, it somewhat leaves the listener wanting a little more.
Closing Thoughts:
This is a fun album with a consistent theme of making Jesus the central theme of our lives. In Him is where we can find our identity, He can turn our lives around and He can fill us with joy as long as He is the center of it all. I look forward to hearing more from Natalie Villa and seeing how her sound matures on her next solo album.
Song to Download Now:
"Fast Lane" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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