Album Reviews

Heart Shaped World Review

Jessica Andrews - Heart Shaped World
Jessica Andrews' star started shining fairly quickly after her first single and video was released, and since then it has only gotten brighter. She was discovered at the early age of twelve by her producer, Byron Gallimore. He encouraged her to take her time on her first album, instead of rushing to get it, and that must be why Heart Shaped World sounded so different from everything else at that time.

The first single, "I Will Be There For You," was on Heart Shaped World as well as the Prince of Egypt Soundtrack, and was a great song to introduce us to Jessica. This Billboard Top 20 song showcased her vocal range and grabbed your attention. "You Go First," was her second single and was widely popular on television's CMT network. Other single releases were a cover of Carlene Carter's song "Unbreakable Heart" and another slow tune, "I Do Now."

All of the songs on Heart Shaped World feature a seventeen year old whose talent is just beginning to bloom. She knows what she wants and she released an album that was just to her liking, and Byron Gallimore was happy to assist in the production. Instead of comparing this to the teens that released albums at about the same time as Jessica, we should compare it to established artist's album because this collection is almost as good as it gets.

Reviewed by Jennifer Webb

Who I Am Review

Jessica Andrews was arguably the most vocally talented of the last wave of Nashville teens, with a mature voice that retained youthful wonder without pandering to teenage tastes. No one expects Andrews to chuck the pop superhighway for the safe - and less profitable - country road. But this is "Faith Lite" as Byron Gallimore has replaced bouncy enthusiasm with calculation and high gloss.

"Helplessly, Hopelessly, Recklessly" sounds like none of the above, just very slick and uninspired. "These Wings" finds the youngster comparing herself to a butterfly; it isn't hard to imagine a video utilizing "This Kiss" outtakes. On the plus side, the title track is an engaging single; "Wishing Well" is another solid song from Phil Vassar, working in tandem with Annie Roboff; and "Good Friend to Me," written by Andrews, Roboff and Bekka Bramlett, features a welcome R&B groove and doesn't attempt to make her sound more mature.

There may be hits here, but "hit records" and "quality music" are not synonymous. This is not up to the standards of her debut; even more importantly, it isn't up to the level of her talent.
Reviewed by Mike Clark

Now Review

Facing 20, Jessica Andrews decides to open her music on her third album, Now. Her hold to country was always a little tentative, particularly because it seemed like she was signed partially because she was a teenage girl who could really sing during the height of LeAnn Rimes' popularity. Like Rimes, Andrews wants to leave strict country behind as she leaves her adolescence, but unlike LeAnn, Jessica sounds in control, having a clear idea of who she is musically and where she wants to go. Now is grounded in country, along with other American roots music, but it's held together with an inclusive pop sensibility and a polished, professional production that nevertheless retains its identity and keeps the focus on Andrews, whose voice sounds stronger and better than ever. If initial comparisons to Rimes did not fall to her favor, she now sounds more versatile and assured than her peer, but she goes even further with Now, crafting an album that straddles the country-pop and adult-pop line as alluringly as the best of Faith Hill, whose Cry pales in comparison to this record. Why? Because this is never stifled by diva ambitions. Because this has up-tempo and mid-tempo songs with character and color, along with catchy hooks. Because the ballads, while slick, still have substance. Ultimately, because Andrews is a hell of singer, finding her own distinctive voice and coming into her own, somewhere between Faith Hill and Sheryl Crow. If the production ever so slightly is a little too mature, a little older than her years, it's only appropriate because her voice sounds older than her years. But even if this does have an adult-pop bent, it's still done better than nearly any other adult-pop in 2003, and the times that Now does loosen up offer tantalizing possibilities of where Andrews could go next. And, no matter which way you cut it, as of this writing Now is one of the best mainstream pop albums of 2003, with only Kelly Clarkson's Thankful rivaling it in consistency and quality. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide