Tricia Brock fronted the band Superchick. They released their debut KARAOKE SUPERSTARS
in 2001 and will release their swan song RECOLLECTION on October 29th. Superchick sold over a million albums and had
a Grammy nomination, as well as having over 150 film, TV, commercial, and video
game placements. Tricia Brock released
her first solo record, a praise and worship project called THE ROAD in
2011. She grew up in small town Indiana. She says: “My parents constantly surrounded
us with great music, and had us in music and voice lessons, always involved in
music at our church.” Her latest album
is RADIATE (2013, Inpop Records). It was
mainly produced by her husband Nick Baumhardt and The Hit Militia. Nick is also responsible for most of the
instrumentation and programming on the album.
He is in the group Stellar Kart.
‘Everything as Loss’ is upbeat pop musically. Seth Mosley produced and engineered this
track and plays acoustic guitars on it.
This first song speaks of the shortcomings of materialism: “What I want,
what I need, has got me/Running after the temporary/Like the stuff that I get
will make me complete/And it’s a carousel/One I know too well/Cause I keep
going round in circles/Round and round and round/Whoa, oh, I’m letting
go/Silver and gold/Is not enough, not enough.”
‘Mirror Mirror’ is a dance track that fights back against what magazines
say make a person beautiful: “We’ve got the power to eliminate illusion/Pull
the curtain back exposing the delusion/Spread the word and exterminate confusion/Sing
it, sing it loud/And say it.../Baby, you’re original/You’re an
individual/You’re a heart with a soul/You’re a gift from above/You’re a product
of love.”
‘Enough’ written by Jeff Pardo and Tony Wood is the lead
single. It unreservedly places total
faith in God: “It’s enough that You know what I’m needin’/It’s enough just to
go where You’re leadin’/Keep my feet on the path and my empty hands always
reachin’ up/It’s enough just to breathe in the moment/And wherever I am I can
know this/If I have nothing else I will always have Your love, Your love/And
that’s enough.” The title track
‘Radiate’ was penned by Nick Baumhardt and Jonathan Lee. It is a fast-paced, highly optimistic song:
“Let me make it obvious/Even if I’m still a mess/I’ll still be standing with a
smile on my face/Waiting on a rainbow, waiting while the wind blows/With my
polka dot umbrella ella.../We can radiate.”
The next song ‘Good to Be a Girl’ is a fun pop/rock song in
the vein of Superchick. It is a song
about girl power: “It’s good to be a girl (2X)/I can be a wonder woman one
day/A damsel in distress/Fighting off the bad guys in heels and a dress/There’s
more to me than what it seems/I am complex/It’s good to be a girl/So put on
your makeup/Cause we’re gonna change it up/Impossible is not a dream/Cause we
can do anything.” ‘Daughter of the King’
draws from Psalm 139:13-14 and reminds girls and ladies where their true value
and self-worth should come from: “A
dress won’t make a princess/And jewels won’t make a queen/Cause you were made
for more than this/You’re worth more than what you see/You are fearfully and
wonderfully a daughter of the King/You are perfect in the Maker’s eyes even
when you don’t believe/His love poured out for who you are/Not who you want to
be/You are fearfully and wonderfully made/A daughter of the King.”
‘Love will not let Go’ is a ballad of encouragement:
“Daughter, don’t be afraid now/To lift up your face, let compassion dry every
tear/Oh son, drop your defenses/And reach for the hands that will lift you out
of your fear/His arms are nearer than your own heart beating.../Don’t let
troubles weigh your mind/Don’t let sorrow steal your soul/God is holding your
heart/And He won’t let go.” Adam Barrie
Smith plays piano, while Chris Carmichael is responsible for string arrangement
and performance. ‘Different’ penned by
Nick, and Curt Anderson, is a hip sounding song musically. It reminds us that we all have something
unique to bring to the table and to the world: “We’re not invincible/But we’re
unstoppable/We are original/Cause you can’t make a difference without being
different/Not invincible/But we’re unshakeable/We’re individual/Cause you can’t
make a difference without being different, you know.”
‘Adding up to a Miracle’ is a groovy pop song written by
Nick, Tricia, and Sarah Hart. These
lyrics remind us that we should make a positive impact on the lives of others:
“Every day’s another chance to be somebody’s hero/A chance to be the one to
save ‘em from a zero/Find it in your heart to find what makes them beautiful/In
their eyes/You are a miracle.” ‘Pity
Party’ is a very strong track about someone who is spoiled: “She cries over
spilled milk/While daddy pays the bills/The more she gets the less happy she
seems/Cause there’s something missing/Not enough clothes/Not a big enough
car/Is it too much to ask to date a rock star?/Why does this always happen to
her?”
’Without You’ was penned by Nick, Tricia, and Phillip
LaRue. LaRue plays guitar on the track. The song contains these words of testimony:
“You’re my anchor Lord in troubled waters/I’m held by grace/I’m held by
grace/You hold my days and my tomorrows/I will praise/I will praise.” The last song is the mellow ‘What I
Know’. Justin Saunders plays cello on
it. These words show great spiritual
resolve: “I could throw my fist in the air demanding answers/But in spite of
all the questions/I’m still giving You my life/And if it doesn’t turn out like
I think it should/It doesn’t change the fact You’re always good/Your ways are
higher than mine/And the truth remains the same even when I don’t know what to
pray.”
Tricia says: “I am convinced I would be a complete mess if I
did not have faith in the unchanging, unwavering God I know and His love for
me. I hope that people are inspired and
encouraged by this album. I hope that
they enjoy the happy songs, and that the slower songs are healing. RADIATE should appeal to fans of Pink and
Gwen Stefani with its contemporary musical stylings. Tricia shares a positive, faith-filled
message much needed in today’s society.
The photos of Tricia in the CD booklet are stylish and pretty cutting
edge for the Christian market. She is
made up beautifully. I’m rating RADIATE 86%. For more info visit: www.triciamusicofficial.com and www.inpop.com.