It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since Paige Lewis released her self-titled debut on Word Records at the age of sixteen. Guess what? She's still making music. Her latest album is ONE GOOD DAY (2011, Cry Holy Music). Now, rather than sounding like Alanis Morissette, she fits in nicely with other female singer-songwriters such as Sheryl Crow, Jann Arden, and Shawn Colvin. Her sound is more mature and refined. The album begins with the title track which is a mid-tempo number that talks of the unsure nature of life: "Every story begins with the worry that nothing's gonna go your way" and "All it takes is one good day and you're on your way." 'Other Side' is a pop song about personal discovery: "How's it feel, how's it feel, tell me how it feels/Safe on the other side?" and "Everybody's waitin' for somethin' to change them/Everybody's waitin' for somethin' to save them." 'You Will be the Last' finds Paige in love: "You may not be the first one that's ever crossed my path/Others worked at first but they disappeared so fast/If ever you should wonder or if anyone should ask/You may not be the first one/But you will be the last." 'Who You Are' is a song for the discouraged: "You're gonna be just fine/Take your sweet time/'Cause you're about to go on the ride of your life/Oh, you're gonna run through the dark/You're gonna say it's too hard/Right before you lose your heart/You're gonna find who you are." 'I Belong with You Now' speaks of the gladness of rediscovering a lost love: "Somehow I've always known that we'd be back together someday/Well babe, that day has come/I don't know how we survived for all this time."
'Turning on the Light' is plodding, and is about conquering depression: "Silence has become the worst of friends/Darkness overruns all happiness" and "There's nothing worse than giving in and fading out and out of sight/We all deserve a second chance/So I'm taking it and I'm turning on the light." 'Much to Learn' is a rock song of personal growth: "Clinging to the only hope I know/Will I know when to let go?/I don't know/All I know, all I know, all I know/Is I've much to learn." 'It Goes On' features beautiful piano and instrumentation and portrays life as a complex journey: "I don't wanna turn back time/I don't wanna change my mind/I just wanna go where I belong/You do the best with what you have/You try to take the good from bad/All I know is after life goes wrong/It goes on." 'Sycamore' is pensive: "Lyin' in my bed/I think I've had enough/I empty my head just to fill it back up." 'Where You Left Me" is a song many will relate to: "I don't understand it why you disappeared/And I'm still stuck here standing where you left me."
ONE GOOD DAY was an important album for Paige Lewis to make. She writes in the liner notes: "This is a record I never thought I'd make, filled with songs I never thought I'd write, inspired by a hope I never thought I'd have." Those fans who are willing to follow Paige from the Christian market to the mainstream market will appreciate her familiar voice and shared insights. I'm rating ONE GOOD DAY 80%. For more info visit
http://www.thepaige.com/.