NOT HERSELF ANYMORE

     In the liner notes of her major label debut, NOT MYSELF ANYMORE (2011, BEC Recordings), Jessa Anderson lays out the purpose of her music: "It is my deepest desire that Your love for humanity be spread through these songs and that Your glory be known."  'Not What I Thought' begins the album on an upbeat, victorious note: "And You're not what I thought when I saw You/I had been running for so long/But now I've got something else, something more/That I know will fill the empty up/Cause You're not what I thought/No You're not what I thought."  'Fireflies' is a delightful pop song about the light of God: "You're breaking through the darkness/I'm like a child/Standing in amazement/Here in the night/You shine brighter than fireflies/Caught up in the mystery/I can't deny everything around me reflects Your light/You shine brighter than fireflies."  'Everybody has those Days' is bouncy and about having a lousy day and feeling down on yourself: "I'm feeling alone and I'm feeling like sort of a mess/Can't make sense of anything" and "You know I'm really more the clumsy type/Always making mistakes/The harder I try to be careful the bigger the break."  'Worship the Lamb' is a Sunday morning friendly song of praise: "There is nothing I could say/I could sing/To give an adequate description of my glorious King/For You are indescribable" and "All I am at my best/I am merely a breath/All I am at my best/I am merely a breath for You."
     'The Same Place' is about someone finding themself in a difficult position: "Trade your problems for the pain/Of knowing that you walked away/No longer participate/You made another big mistake/Didn't anybody ever say/We all lie in the bed we make?"  'Not Myself Anymore' is a piano ballad showcasing Jessa's vocals.  It explores the pain involved in a relationship ending: "I can't seem to figure out why/I'm not myself anymore/And I cry all the time/And you, you're unaccountably gone/You've got no explanation for leaving me alone/Well maybe we shouldn't have let it go on for so long."  'I Won't Break' is a guitar and percussion driven rocker.  The flavour in Jessa's voice really shows here in this song about a relationship gone sour: "And I've been wondering when it all fell apart on me/And how I didn't see it coming/In the least baby/I gather miles and put them up on display/Pretend I'm shiny, new and tell the world I've changed."  'Moving On' is a song of encouragement I could hear Taylor Swift doing: "Stop your worry now/Just be strong/Be strong/Leave your fear behind/We're moving on/Moving on."
     'Offering' is a mid tempo song of gratitude to God: "I believe in a purpose intended for the life You breathe only in me/I needed someone to fight and defend me/And salvage what's buried beneath" and "You alone are perfect by nature/Passionate lover, redeemer, and friend/Who am I to inherit this treasure?/A place in Your infinite rest."  'Don't Know' is a song of self-examination and is about a desire to hide one's real self from others: "So why do I feel the need to hide myself behind/A veil that doesn't show/Who I am inside?" and "Does anybody see me here?/Does anybody, anybody care?/Does anybody hear me now?"  The album closes with 'Return' which is a prescription for a fulfilling life and has a poetic feel to it: "We have been running away/We have been hiding/We have been making mistakes/And then denying/All of the things that make us who we are/Fallen from grace and then restored" and "We are unwilling and we are cold/For fear the darkness will be exposed/But if we hold on to all our secrets/We only forfeit/Our chance at freedom."
     NOT MYSELF ANYMORE is a strong pop debut from Jessa Anderson.  I recommend it to fans of Ke$ha, ZOEgirl, Everlife, and Cheri Keaggy.  I'm rating it an 85%.  The album cover is a gorgeous portrait of Jessa.  For more info visit http://www.jessaanderson.com/ and http://www.becrecordings.com/.