Kerrie Roberts’ origins can be traced to Miami,
Florida. She was born on January 1,
1985. Her folks were a pastor and a
church choir director. She started
writing songs while in high school and graduated from the University of Miami
with a degree in studio music and jazz vocal.
In September 2005 she put out the single ‘It is Well With Me’. Fast forward to 2010 and she released her
self-titled full length studio album on Reunion Records. It peaked at #27 on Billboard’s Christian
Albums chart. Producers used on the
album were Rob Graves, Dan Muckala, Chuck Butler, and Brown Bannister, while
Jason McArthur executive produced it.
First up is the record’s highest charting single ‘No Matter
What’. It was written by Kerrie, Chuck
Butler, and Tony Wood and hit #9 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart. This pop song puts full confidence in God:
“When I’m stuck in this nothingness by myself/I’m just sitting in
silence/There’s no way I can make it without Your help/I won’t even try it/I
know You have Your reasons for everything/So I will keep believing/Whatever I
might be feeling/God, You are my hope and You’ll be my strength”. ‘Take You Away’ finds Jesus speaking words of
encouragement: “Oh, I’m coming to take you away/To the place where the pain
won’t find you/I’m coming to take you away/So leave the weight of the world
behind you/Oh, and you know/Nothing’s too far, nothing’s too hard/I’ll always
be there/I’m coming to take you away”.
Kerrie, Rob Graves, Stephanie Lewis, and Bernie Herms wrote
‘Beautiful to Me’. It’s a pretty worship
song with strings arranged by David Davidson.
It reflects on Christ at Calvary: “I don’t deserve Your suffering/I
should be the one who’s bleeding/But Your broken body gives this broken spirit
what it’s needing/You reach through time with Your sacrifice/Your wounded hands
holding this fragile life/It’s beautiful to me/Your holy mystery/I’m standing
here in awe/Of how You make everything so beautiful to me”. ‘This Love Doesn’t Run’ offers testimony:
“You hold me now/Where I know that I belong in hands that heal me/And I know
I’m finally home in arms that won’t let go”.
‘Keep Breathing’ is the only song solely written by
Kerrie. It’s a strong adult contemporary
ballad of encouragement: “When every moment is almost more than you can
take/You got to know some tomorrow/Will bring you a breakthrough.../Keep
breathing, you’ll make it/Don’t give in, you’re not done yet/Sometimes all that
you can do is keep breathing and believing”.
‘Unstoppable’ is an R & B ballad of optimism: “Anything is possible,
possible/You gotta believe and see that love is unstoppable/You can never go
too far, never be too gone that you can’t turn it around/You will see that love
is unstoppable/Keep going (2X)/Keep pushing (2X)”.
Kerrie, Jason McArthur, Cindy Morgan, and Jeremy Bose wrote
one of the album’s other singles, ‘Outcast’.
Though it is under three minutes in length it packs quite a pop/dance
musical punch. It’s about going against
the flow: “I’m not living for them, I live for something better/I’m not good
enough/I’m not what they want/But let me tell you what/I know who I am/So just
throw me out for not fitting in/I will stand my ground and be an outcast”. ‘Maybe I’m Afraid’ includes these vulnerable
thoughts: “Maybe I’m afraid to let it go and just accept the love You’ve
spoken/Maybe I’m afraid of the way that I know You’ll fix everything that’s
broken/Or maybe I’m afraid cause I don’t know who You are”.
‘Love Comes Down’ is an adult contemporary ballad that uses
an eight person choir and reminds us that God does indeed care for us: “If you
could only know Who loves you/Who feels your every pain/If you could only hear
Him speaking/With a voice as sweet as rain/You’d know that He counts your
tears/He holds them near, not one will go to waste/And the sorrow that weighs
you down/Will float away”. Ending things
is a gorgeous worship anthem, ‘Savior to Me (Sing Glory)’. Here’s the chorus: “Glory to the God
above/Full of truth and endless love/He who is and was and always will be/I
surrender to the One/Gentle and most powerful/Of all the things You are/You’ve
chosen to be/A Savior to me!”
KERRIE ROBERTS is mainly a soft adult contemporary album
with influences of R & B. There are
however, a couple of upbeat pop numbers and a couple of modern worship ones. These songs encourage us to realize that God
truly does have care and concern for us, whatever we are going through. Also conveyed here, is gratitude for what God
has done for us. He redeemed us at
Calvary and He is our Healer working all things for good in our lives. Kerrie has a lovely, powerful voice and she
is a beautiful lady. I’m rating her
debut album 93%. Fans of Nichole
Nordeman and Francesca Battistelli should have this CD in their
collection. For more info visit: www.kerrieroberts.com.