"Sorry about this, but I would like to address a negative review I saw on this site: I believe the message of "NOT DATING" is that boys and girls should not look for a possible life partner until they have figured who they are and where they are going in their own life. Makes sense to me. To the reviewer who criticized Barlow Girl for writing a song against dating - I thought tolerance was in? Oh, that's right; only worldly tolerance is the order of the day. Silly me, I forgot.
And now, on with the review:
#1 On My Own - Nice attempt at creating something different, but I'm not sure success was found. The lyrics are not the problem in this song. The music has too much of a hard, repetitive strum to it and the fast-beat-to-slow beat and back again just doesn't work well on this tune.
The lyrics are about the times we really need God to take over in our lives - the times where we really fall hard. That makes this song very strong in the lyrics department. I just wished the women had worked a little harder on the rhythm and timing for this one. I thin I could learn to love the song, but it may take awhile.
#2 Pedestal - Na-na songs aren't my thing, but it is a little catchy - this second song with lyrics that once again outperform the music. As the father of two girls who attend Peer Pressure High School (at least that should be the name of the school), the lyrics in this song hit home hard. Even girls brought up in a loving Christian home can be a victim of idolizing these stars and their fame appeal.
#3 Never Alone - Is God there? Many times we cry out to the Lord we know is there. We feel Him at times so strongly it is amazing, and at times we can barely sense his presence. This song touches on that issue quite well, and this time, the women match the strong lyrics with some strong music. Best song on the CD! Bravo, ladies.
#4. Harder Than The First Time - Good beat, good flow, and soft voices make this song a treat to listen to. Parts of sound like a Rebecca St. James production and other parts sound like a Point of Grace creation; I don't think I could ask for much more.
#5 You Led Me - Great message, but not much BAM in this one. Give this one to Mac Powell of Third Day and he could make it work, even if it is a slow ballad. Jennifer Knapp could have done this song better too.
#6 Mirror - If there is one thing this group has mastered, it is important self-issues and great lyrics. This song is no exception: "And to Him I have beauty beyond compare" is just one example of how well this group is addressing issues that are important to people all over the planet. Great effort on this one - I put this song right up there with Never Alone. Great job LADIES!
#7 Superstar - "Why can't we be God's superstars?" This CD needs to be listened to by every teenager in America. Barlow Girl has managed to grab the truth and put it on a CD for today's youth to examine. Too many people worry about what everyone else thinks about them, but ignore what God is probably worried about. Music falls just barely short of the lyrics on this one.
#8 Clothes - A little cheesy on the music and lyrics on this one, but I get the point. Inside counts, outside flaunts.
#9. She Walked Away - I'm not telling you what I think of this song. You have to by the CD and see for yourself. I'll just say this: As a parent, I found this song very moving. And Barlow Girl, I believe you truly understand the love a parent has for his child.
#10 Average Girl - Do ya'll (Barlow Girl) think my daughters could hang out with girls for a few weeks? Great song - a little cheesy and the music on this one though.
#11 Surrender - I better not comment on this one... Ah, what the heck. C'mon ladies, just because it is a slow song doesn't mean you can't sing hard. This is the weakest song on the CD and I think it would have been better to just leave it off. Sorry, sometimes I am dreadfully honest.
Overall, the CD is great. Six or seven of the songs are outstanding and a few could be better than the finished product. I bought this CD for my youngest daughter, and I don't regret it one bit. As a parent, I can trust this group to have a positive, Christ-centered message for my daughters.
See ya next review
"
Good Music for Youth and Explanation of the Dating Issue
Crystal Ben-Ezra | Peoria, IL | 12/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is good music. It reminds me of Evanesence. Especially "Never Alone." The only issue I have with it is that being a mom now of four young children, it doesn't touch me quite the way it might have before I got married. But for a single young woman, it is great. It is a rare thing to find a "Christian" band that still cares about what God really says.
There were a few who reviewed this and didn't understand the "no dating" issue. Barlow Girls do not believe in dating. However, an alternative to dating is called courtship. Courtship is when you look for a man to have a special relationship with for the SOLE purpose of finding out if you want to marry him. If you find you do not want to marry him, you break off the special relationship and return to friendship only. This is different from dating because dating means you are using each other for physical pleasure and have no goal in mind but momentary fun and if you happen to get married...that's cool. Courtship has a goal and if done properly...nobody is used and the relationship glorifies God. Usually, courtship is by and under the girl's father's supervision. This keeps everyone safe from broken hearts and sexual sin.
So for those who were confused...it doesn't mean Barlow Girls expect to be married by arranged marriage or something. It means that they are taking a stand against selfish, momentary, pointless dating and keeping themselves (including their hearts) pure for their husband. Just like the Church is called to do for Jesus! :-) Ephesians 5."
If you buy one Cd in your entire life, buy this one!
Alexia Mervine | Living Here Only Temporarily | 04/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is definitely the best CD I own.
The first song is On My Own. A great song to start a CD with. It goes between slower and rock. 5/5
Next is Pedestal. It talks about how we often revere others above God, but they don't last that long. 5/5
Never Alone. Very good and comforting song. Even though we can't always feel God, He's still there. 5/5
Harder Than The First Time. The music literally rocks and the lyrics are so touching. 5/5
You Led Me. This is my least favorite song on the CD. It is the slowest and is great if you're in the mood for it. But it's pretty slow compared to the rest. But still, 5/5
Mirror. If I had to pick a favorite song on this CD, this would be near the top, if not at the top. It talks about how it's not easy to live up to the mirror, and that the true reflection is found only in Jesus. 5/5
Superstar. This was written before they had a record label. Their dreams were to be superstars, but that might never had happened. So in this song, they're saying it's ok if they're not superstars, but shining stars (examples) for God. A great song for independant bands. 5/5
Clothes. Excellent song. Great tunes and lyrics. You'll have to hear it to believe me. 5/5
She Walked Away. It was written about their friend who ran away from home. It's more like a story-like song, but it's very touching. 5/5
Average Girl. This is on their stand about not dating, but waiting for God to bring the right guy for them. Great message and great tune. 5/5
Surrender. This is one of the best of the best songs of this CD. It really touches you in the inmost part of your heart. I love it. Well-worded and the music goes perfectly. 5/5
Let me repeat, if you buy one CD in your entire life, make it this one."
This is a GREAT CD!
Crystal Ben-Ezra | 04/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I take offense to one of the reviews for this CD where the reviewer states a one star rating because they say "no dating" and he/she didnt like the chord progression....I bought this CD because I heard a track on a freebe CD and I was impressed. I brought it home and from the first listen I was hooked. These sisters have a very unique sound and a very positive message. Also, a big part of the appeal for me is the lead singer's voice. She is just fantastic!This is a CD for all ages (although it is probably geared towards teenagers). I am a 39 year old guy and this has a permanent place in my CD changer! Every song on this CD is great and I highly recommend it. If you want fun, uplifting, positive, catchy, great vocals, good songwriting, and something you can just crank -- then this is the CD for you.Good job Barlow Girls -- thanks for the effort - you chicks ROCK!"
BarlowGirl is Sure to be a hit!
Alexia Mervine | 03/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"OKay, this is a AWSOME album. If you're wondering, BarlowGirl is a group of 3 sisters. I absolutely LOVE this cd! Each song has it's own sound, and it's own, personal message that shouldn't be ignored, especially if you're a teenage girl. 1. On My Own: This song is really good, it has some neat, original lyrics on it, as do all of the songs. It's a rock song, but it's not the most upbeat one on the album. One line is "I promised myself that I wouldn't fall, but here I've fallen, I guess I'm not as strong as I thought, All I can do is cry to you. Oh God you have to save me, you're my last and only hope.." (4/5)
2. Pedastal: This one is a bit harder than the first track, and it's lyrics are equally original and interesting. Not one of my favorites, but still a very good song. "You're a god I know it, How you stand above them all, You are my perfect person and I'd hate to see you fall." (3/5)
3. Never Alone: Very Good song. It starts out quiet and calm, then goes into rock, and sort of bounces between the two, creating a pretty neat-o song. It has some pretty catchy lyrics, too.
"Such a deep, deep reassureance You've placed in my life We cannot Separate, 'Cause you're part of me, and though you're invisable I trust the unseen.." (4/5)
4. Harder Than the First Time: This is another hard song, it, like most of the BarlowGirl songs, has a tendancy to stay stuck in your head. It has a hard background, and it's basically a good song. "I didn't see you, but God I want to, You've come alive and I think I've fallen harder than the first time.." (3/5)
5. You Lead Me: This is one of the slower songs on the cd, you can easily skip it to go to the next track, though it is a nice song when you're in the mood for it. It speeds up a little near the end, but still remains pretty quiet. "Jesus, Jesus, you found me. Through the long night, you lead me. You set me free..." (3/5)
6. Mirror: Okay, this is my favorite track on the album. It starts out quiet, (much like track 3), then after about 30 seconds at the most it opens up into the awsome rock chorus. It mostly has guitar, drums and Becca, Alyssa and Lauren's vocals, plus piano at the quieter parts. It bounces around between quiet and rock, but the rock part is the best. It all mixies surpriseingly well, and it's strange no one has made this song before BarlowGirl. "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, Hasve I got it? 'Cause mirror you've always told me who I am, I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect, So sorrty, you won't define me, sorry, you don't own me, *rock comes in* Who are you to tell me that I'm less then what I should be? Who are you? Who are you??" (5/5)
7. Superstar: This song is also rock, and it has a funny clip of one of the girls talking at the end. It's about wanting to be a rock star and stuff, though I didn't need to say that seeing asy ou can just look at the name... ""I wanna be a star but is that all I'm really here for? And if I'm not a star will that be okay?" (3/5)
8. Clothes: Okay, this song is really funny, and delivers a very important message to girls about how you can just be yourself in life, and you don't have to wear shirts so small that they could fit a stuffed-animal. Wonderful song, with a VERY unique. "Pay so much for clothes so small, is this shirt for me or for my doll? Is this all I get? I looked so hot but caught a cold, I was just doing what I was told to do to fit in.." (5/5)
9. She walked Away: This is another good song, also bounces between rock and quiet a bit, but not much at all. It kinda repeats the same line of 'She walked away' over and over, and that drove my dad crazy one time, though to me it sounds good, I just can't listen to it every waking moment, though some people probably could. It sorta talks about how much your family would miss you if you ran away and that running off is a dumb idea. "She walked away, couldn't say why she was leavin', she walked away, she left all she had belived in.." (5/5)
10. Average Girl: This has a VERY Important message to girls about how you should wait for god find you someone to love, and delivers a strcit message of 'No more dating' and that if you get tired of waiting to run into and embrace god. It has a nice rock background, but gets old after hearign it the ga-gillionth time... "Chasing after boys is not my thing, see I'm waiting for a wedding ring. No more dating, I'm just waiting, Like sleeping beauty..." (4/5)
11. Surrender: This is a BEAUTIFUL song, and it also has a message somewhere in it, I think it's not to give up hope or something... It's the quietest song on the cd, but it's hard to listen to on repeat because at the end after the song they have a recording of kids introducing BarlowGirl that they 'rapped up', so it sounds like "la- la- ladies and ge-gentelmen, it's bar-barlow girl Bar-barlow girl!" And it's really freaky. But other than that, I love this song and can't seem to find any flaws in it. "I know I can't hold these dreams forever, if I give tehm to you now, will you take them away forever?" (5/5)OKay, that's all I have to say, I hope that helped!! Bye!!"