Rebecca St James - If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This is to my ears Rebecca's best album for years and certainly her most rock-orientated since 1996's 'God'. Spending some time at Switzerland's L'Abri - the teaching establishment founded by Christian thinker Francis Schaeffer - has certainly sharpened Rebecca's lyric writing skills while the production by Tedd T, with its edgy guitar overlays, inventive string arrangements and clever use of synth parts, wrap effectively around Rebecca's appealing vocals. Highlights here include "Shadowlands", clearly inspired by the CS Lewis classic; "You Are Loved" which uses the chord sequence of Pachelbel's "Caron" and a lyric written for a friend who had gone through a "prodigal" experience in his life; and "Thank You" which includes a bit of rapping from CCM favourite Toby Mac. Another effective guest is that band of girl rockers BarlowGirl on "Forgive Me". All in all, this is a fine return to form for the Australian-born singer.