Rebecca St. James - Pray

There's a beauty to the rawness of Rebecca St. James. While her contemporaries in the Christian market ply their formulaic-sounding wares, St. James continues to go where few artists, if any, have gone before. On Pray, her fourth album, the young Australian singer meshes Euro-industrial with charismatic Christian for a mind-bending (if not soul-bending) experience. Producer Tedd T. offers the right blend of programming, melodic rock, and St. James's powerful vocals on the opening title track as well as the brilliant "Come Quickly Lord" and "Peace." While the covers of Rich Mullins's "Hold Me Jesus" and Keith Green's "Lord You're Beautiful" provide new treatments to old standards, it is the numbers penned by St. James and Tedd T. that stand out. Don't miss the haunting final number, "Omega," or the mystery track beyond. --Michael Lyttle Amazon.com

OK

Rebecca's album "God" is a classic but this album isn't as good as it, nearly! Sure, there's great songs like "Pray", "Love to Love You", "I'll Carry You", and "Mirror" but there's quite simple songs too, such as "Hold Me Jesus", "Peace", "Lord You're Beautiful", and "OK" (the keyboards like in Depeche Mode songs) that don't deserve much attention! The last song "Omega" is a great one and it's a nice way to finish this album! Rebecca has such a great song and I only hope that they would have produced this album better and made better ideas!
Stars: Pray, Love to Love You, I'll Carry You January 19, 2007

Great CD

I really loved this CD. What I love about Rebecca is that she is herself; she doesn't try to be like "the world" (notice quotation marks) to get your attention.

1. Pray- A song that starts out with some violens, then just explodes. It is a very passionate song and just well done.

2. Ok- An okay song, though not my favorite. It is kind of quiet, and I favor her pop/rock sound. She just has that kind of voice.

3. Give Myself Away- Another great song. I loved the chorus. The music reminded me of old school rock.

4. Hold Me Jesus- A beautiful song that describes a person at her wits end.

5. I'll Carry You- KICKIN'! This song has another good message of friendship. Plus, it rocks.

6. Come Quickly Lord- Well written, well sung, well played...awesome.

7. Peace- Not my favorite, but I loved the message. The song sounds very professional and well written again.

8. Mirror- Alas, not a favorite song for me. It just doesn't sound like her.

9. Lord, you're beautiful- The song opens quiet, but then at the chorus starts to rock

10. Love to love you- A sweet song about loving God.

11. Omega- I loved this song, and it was a perfect ending to the album.

So, with that said, this oldskool album is very good. So, go buy it. March 1, 2006

Great worship CD!

I love this CD not just for its catchy songs but for the worshipful atmosphere it creates whenever I listen to it. I get frustrated with "Christian" music that does nothing more than induce a vaguely cheerful emotion. I want music that focuses my mind and heart on the Lord, not on my emotions. Pray does just that with lyrics that praise and honor God. I also appreciate the fact that Rebecca St. James' lyrics are simple to remember - after just a few times of hearing her songs, I find myself singing them all day! Be sure not to miss the hidden song "Be Thou My Vision" on the last track. It is the best version of the best hymn I have heard to date. I highly recommend this CD and would like to thank Ms. St. James for offering a CD that gives glory to the Lord God. August 9, 2005

Very Good

Pray features Rebecca's beautiful voice with very uplifting lyrics. I listened to this recently after not having played it for a couple of years. I have ended up listening to it several times since then.

There are several songs on it that are very good and none that aren't enjoyable. I particularly like 'Pray' and 'Come Quickly Lord'. If you like Rebecca's music, you should definitely enjoy this. If you are not familiar with her, it is not a bad place to start. March 7, 2005

An enjoyable album.

The first time I had ever heard of Rebecca was when I saw her live. I can't remember the exact date but it was in Kamloops, BC. She had just released Pray and I was skeptical going to see her as myself, am not a religious person. But boy, did I have a good time!

Not only did she play a long and brilliant set, there were many times when she'd take time-outs for chats with the audience and made it a really enjoyable experience. She was signing autographs after the show and not having any Rebecca merchandise myself, bought Pray and got her to sign it. She was friendly and endearing and I really enjoyed meeting her.

Years after purchasing Pray (and not having listened to it in a while), my respect and general like for Rebecca and her music are still there entirely, if not more. It's one of those albums that you still ENJOY after years passing.

Rebecca has an interesting way of incorporating worship with catchy lyrics and her diverse euro-pop sound. Her voice is strong and inviting and always leaves the ears wanting more and the rare thing is, you feel that way after each song. I always feel that everything with turn out okay in the end after I'm finished listening to Pray and it's an album that really makes me feel hopeful about the future.

It's hard to inspire people that much through music and Rebecca is someone that definitely inspires through Pray and I'm sure she will through whatever else she has done or will do. It's an album that at least deserves a listen to whether you're a religious person or not, because her lyrics still inspire the non-believers. June 6, 2004

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