If you don't know who Cait Fairbanks, then listen up. Cait Fairbanks, whose real name is Caitlin Baunoch, is an actress and a singer-songwriter from New York City. She started acting when she was eight years old and has since performed in over 20 professional, community and regional theatres for over 10 years. She is best known for her role in the 2014 broadway production Heathers the Musical.
Echoes was released on August 30, 2016 on SoundCloud for free. It was the second song that the singer had released after her debut single Digging My Own Grave for her upcoming debut EP. The track is two minutes and 41 seconds long. It's described as an "pop rock" song that talks about hearing echoes inside your head to the point where you don't want to let go of a lost love. She opens the song on a very dark note with, "Leave me with a kiss, you haunt me/ Leave me with a spell of wanting/ I don't know what you'd do/ Sunk your teeth, now I'm bruised/ Left me in the dark, I'm searching/ Burning out the walls, I'm hurting/ I don't know what you'd do/ Gave me love, but now I'm bruised/Everywhere I go, I see you", and then goes to the chorus, "All I hear are echoes, echoes of your love/ All I don't wanna let go, let go of your love/ I don't wanna be so lonely/ I don't wanna be so lonely/ Echoes, echoes, I'm in love/ I don't wanna let go, let go of your love".
So, I listened to Echoes last night on SoundCloud while I was doing my blog. And I absolutely love this along with Digging My Own Grave and Hiding Place (which I will do a review on those songs later). The production and the writing is spectacular. I give this song a 10/10. Cait also released a music video for Echoes on Vimeo which can be viewed by click on the link below:
Hiding Place is the second studio album by California singer Tori Kelly that was released on September 14, 2018, through School Boy Records and Capitol Records.. It is primarily a gospel album with influences of R&B and jazz music. The album also features collaborations from Kirk Franklin, Christian rapper Lecrae, Jonathan McReynolds and The HamilTones. The title, Hiding Place, is based off the scripture of Psalm 32:7 where it reads:
"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance."
Masterpiece (featuring Lecrae)
Masterpiece is where both Tori and Lecrae talk about God making one into a masterpiece, benefits from struggle, and clinging to God in times of trouble. Kelly sings on the first verse,
"When You look at me
Do You see a work of art in the making? Sketch of what I'll be I wonder what You see in me Like what do You think? When my life is not a melody in the morning And I feel off key, yeah Do You still believe in me? Like a symphony, hey You know how to make all things work together Crazy how mistakes can be miracles in disguise",
and then Lecrae exchanges his verse on the third verse with,
"Uh, now you know that you're a masterpiece
You probably feel like a catastrophe You think I'm totally kidding but hold up a minute Don't compare yourself with none of them You one of one and ain't no synonym A Master Artist take a mess and make a masterpiece And look at you, you been a gem (facts) Shinin'".
Help Us to Love (featuring The HamilTones)
Tori collaborates with the singing group The HamilTones on this mid gospel track where they tackle on the bad things that they deal with in the real world while asking God to help them to love. They sing together on the chorus,
"There's a love so high (that you cannot get over)
That same love's so wide (it'll take forever just to get round it) But love died somewhere Behind that cross you wear, you're afraid when you look at me That ain't real love Not the kind from above, hmm",
and then move on to the next verse with,
"But there's a friend of mine (that stays closer than a brother)
Oooh, love laid down his life (so why do we still fight one another?) All this hate I see on the TV screen In my country ‘tis of thee God help us to love, to love the way that you love me Hmmm, God help us to love the way that you love me, oh oh".
Kelly comes on the bridge with something that we can all relate to when she sings,
"This world is weeping, hurting, broken and begging for change
Oh yeah But still we marching, praying, dying, and things stay the same When will we see? Till everyone's free There'll never be peace between you and me God, your love is the cure For the rich and the poor God, please will you open our eyes?"
Here is the live music video for Help Us to Love if you're interested:
Sunday
Sunday finds Tori being tired of trying to mask her pain from the people of the church singing,
"When the world looks at me
I wonder what they see Underneath these eyes Oh, smiles masquerade as pain And grow up to be shame Then leave me with a lie",
and then goes to the chorus with,
"I know they, they don't see my flaws
Or these hidden scars And all the mess I've made Oh, so don't, don't let Sunday fool ya Here's my hallelujah Every single day, I'm running to Your grace Ey, ey, ey".
Tori also released the live music video for Sunday. You can check it out below:
Just As Sure (featuring Jonathan McReynolds)
Just As Sure marks the first collaboration for Tori Kelly and Jonathan McReynolds as they talk about going through the dark times. But despite all of this, God still loves them both as Kelly sings on the chorus,
"Just as sure as winter fades
And then it turns to spring I believe deliverance, will surely come for me Just as sure as my heart Will someday be made anew I know You love me Just as I do love You Mmm, just as I do love You",
then Jonathan comes in with his verse,
"Just as sure as the test
Is there to make me perfect in Your eyes It may hurt for a while But by faith I shall survive Just as sure as the rain Falls on me only to make me grow No matter how I feel Now I live by what I know".
I love how both Tori and Jonathan's voices come together like a harmony on the bridge with,
"I love You and I trust You
'Cause You know what's best for me
And even though the crowd sometimes gets loud And it's hard to hear You speak (Hear You speak) Just as sure as Your grace Is faithful even when my faith I lose I know You love me (I know You love me) Just as I do love You
I love You and I trust You 'Cause You know what's best for me Even though the crowd sometimes gets loud And it's hard to hear You speak, oooh Just as sure as Your grace Is faithful even when my faith I lose I know You love me Just as I do love You Just as I do love You".
Here is the live music video of Just As Sure:
Psalm 42 is an inspirational piano driven track where the singer shares the message of one's heart striving for God. It's based off the biblical scripture Psalm 42. She opens up with,
"There's a quiet place
That gives me peace when I'm alone with You There's a hiding place Your Spirit's always there when I'm confused Only You can purify All this world won't ever satisfy My heart, it cries".
The chorus serves as a prayer for the singer and also contains a reference to Psalm 42:1-2 as she sings, "As the deer pants for the water/ So my soul needs you Lord/ When thirsty God, you're the living water/And my soul needs you Lord/ I need you, Lord/ I need you, Lord/ I need you, Lord/ I need you, Lord".
Live music video for Psalm 42 here:
Questions is the sixth track in which the singer has some questions for God about the bad stuff that is happening in the world right now singing,
"What happens when the healing never comes?
Do we stand and curse the heavens
Or lift our hands and feel the sun The mystery's not clear Just once, Your voice I'd love to hear What happens when the healing never comes",
and then goes to the fourth verse with,
"So now I must be silent
Your voice is in the wind The hands that made the heavens Will heal the storm within I have so many questions I don't know where to begin Since You were there at the beginning You already know the end".
Never Alone (featuring Kirk Franklin)
Tori taps Gospel singer Kirk Franklin as the singer sings about how she is not alone during the times of struggles because God is on her side. She begins on the first verse with,
"In my time I've travelled some roads
A rolling stone Nowhere feels like home And I've seen people come, then they go Life is just a story of some highs and some lows",
and then continues with,
"I've cried many rivers
I've walked through some pain I've seen my world crumble And I'll carry the shame But I know somebody, He calls me His own I can hear heaven singing out Oh-oh-oh, you're never alone Oh-oh-oh, you're never alone".
Soul's Anthem (It Is Well)
Soul's Anthem (It Is Well) serves as the closing track for Hiding Place. On the track, Tori asks God to show him his ways to her like how to love him or trust him. She sings,
"Teach me how to love you
Show me how to trust you
More than with my words or with a song
No, it's not been easy To live life down on my knees But with faith I know I'll carry on",
but through the hardship, she says on the chorus with,
"There is more to see than with my eyes
But fear sometimes can leave me paralyzed I realize that I'm not in control Yet it is well with my soul".
I listened to Tori Kelly's new album the day that it was released and I ultimately fell in love with from beginning to end. Tori has really stepped it up with Hiding Place by mixing gospel music with R&B and jazz with tracks like "Sunday" or "Soul's Anthem (It Is Well). I would definitely recommend that you buy this album and let Tori help you to have a closer relationship with God like never before! I give Hiding Place a 10/10. All songs on the album are perfect. The production from singer Kirk Franklin on this project is amazing.
Make sure that you stream/purchase Hiding Place on Amazon Music, Google Play, iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora and Walmart:
You can also go and see Tori on the Hiding Place tour by purchasing your tickets from her website or Live Nation right now. Here's the link for it: http://www.torikellymusic.com/#/tour
Also, check out Tori Kelly's video for the White Chair film titled I Am Second where she talks about how she overcame her struggle with identity with the help of Jesus. You can watch it here below:
Here is the website for the I Am Second film starring Tori Kelly:
No Rain, No Flowers is the third project by American singer Sabrina Claudio. It was released on August 15, 2018. The project was spawned by two singles titled Messages From Her and Numb.
Come Here serves as the opening track for the project. This track is about the singer being so happy to see her lover. She begins on the first verse,
"I'm dying to see you
You know what I'm fiending for
The only one to get to me
Only one to get this close", and then continues with, "So, I want you to come here
I want you to come here
I just need you near
No matter how, just make it here
Now".
Naked is where Sabrina sings about showing herself to her lover what she is like by undressing emotionally and physically. She begins with, "My pride fell down my body like my silk dress/ This is me naked, oh/ All of me is all for you/ Uncover all my truths/ Undress my fears, leave me nude/ All of me is all for you/ For you", and then she ends the song with the lyrics, "Strip me to my fingertips/ I will tell you all of it.
Cycle is where Claudio is going through the changes in her life singing, "This is part of cycle/ This the part when the flower starts to bloom after rain/ And get the nutrients it needs to grow again/ This the part where the sun sets/ And the night time starts to overload your brain/ But the sun will always rise in the morning", and then she continues with, "I didn't make it this far/ I didn't make it this far/ Just to make it this far/ I didn't work this hard/ Not to leave my own mark".
Creation is the fourth track in which Sabrina makes this man who he is and now he’s making another girl happy because of what she taught him. She sings,
"I prepared you for her
Didn't you turn out perfect?
She must wanna thank me
For leaving her with your best version",
then on the chorus, she goes on with,
"You got all the bad out your system
What we had were nothing but lessons
I taught you them then left with my reasons
Now I'll be glad to hand her my creation".
Numb is about being tired of feeling used while also dealing with vulnerability. Just like Claudio sings on the chorus,
"My body and mind finally went numb
Body and mind finally went numb
Body and mind finally went numb
And I'm finally done, all I feel is..
My body and mind finally went numb
Body and mind finally went numb
Body and mind finally went numb
And I’m finally done, all I feel is numb
All I feel is numb".
And later on the first verse with,
"I'm tired of feeling used
And all you put me through".
Did We Lose Our Minds is where Sabrina is asking some serious questions about her partner saying,
"Did we lose our minds?
Were we ever fine?
Did we lose it all?
Oh, were we both at fault?",
and then on the chorus,
"How did we let us get here?
You're supposed to save me from me
I save you
Guess we'll see where life takes us
Hope to meet again",
lastly on the second verse with,
"No way I'd live without you, mmm
No way, no way, no way
Did we lose our minds?
Were we wrong or were we right?
Was it bad timing?
Was something missing?"
On Control, the singer find herself not being in control when it comes to her mind singing, "I'm not used to losing my mind/ But its pieces put me at peace/ For months, I'm okay with not knowing where I'm going/ It liberates me", and then moves on to the chorus with, "I think I've lost control/ Oh, oh, ah, ah/ I've lost it all/ Oh, oh, ah, mm mm, mm mm".
Messages From Her is the last track on No Rain, No Flowers. The song talks about how Claudio is addressing herself as a younger lady with the lyrics, "Look how you found me/ No one else sees this but you, but you/ 'Cause once you told me/ If something's missing in me/ To go and find it in you", then she hints about her life falling apart while also comparing to her childhood singing, "A piece of me ain't there/ 'Cause nothing can compare/ To life when I was young/ That girl inside me stays/ If I'm not here for me/ She will be there". In the end, Sabrina is having a conversation with her past self saying, "Messages from her/ Messages to her/ Messages from her/ Messages to her".
I listened to this beautiful project by Sabrina Claudio on SoundCloud on August 17th (the same day that Ariana Grande released her Sweetener album). At first, I didn't know who Sabrina Claudio was, but after listening to no rain, no flowers, I fell in love with her music! Her voice is very soothing with the lyrics and I felt like I could really relate to what she is going as far as being vulnerable in the sense. I give this a 4/5.
Make sure that you purchase/stream No Rain, No Flowers on Google Play, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, ITunes, Deezer and Pandora:
