Julie Marie Elias was born on January 3, 1985 in Santa Clara County, California. She attended college in Colorado where she majored in history and musical theater. She has appeared on 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'CSI: NY' and in the films 'Due Date' and 'Larry Crowne'. She's released five studio albums, with her debut being A WILD ROSE (2012). Julie's latest album is A GIRL LIKE ME (2017). She cites 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 as theme verses for the album. They read as follows: "But He said to me, `My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness`. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ`s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong".
1. Starting things off is 'Unchained'. It is one of eight songs solely penned by Julie on this project. This one's a dandy, lengthy power pop song of testimony: "Not afraid and never alone/Unashamed to cling to Your hope/I know You hold me in Your hands/When I'm lost You call me by name/And when I fall You love me the same/In You there's freedom from my pain.../You are great in power, great in mercy, great in majesty!/You are holy, You are worthy/I will sing to You!"
2. 'Only for Awhile' is a bubblegum pop song of positivity: "Did you know that the girl is me and today I'm worry free?/It may not last but change is what I need/But I'm grateful, thankful I can handle it/I'm happy to admit I'm not alone through the unknown/Cause life will always change/We need to see sunshine in the rain/Whether upside down or inside out/I've got something to sing about for awhile/Only for awhile (3X)".
3. 'Awaken' is the album's first single and was inspired by Romans 13:12. Julie's bio says the song is "about closing the chapter of darkness in your life and stepping out into the light, committing to God that you're ready to obey Him and do His work". This song is a beautiful, sweeping, piano-based ballad and begins with these prayerful words: "Awaken my soul/Reveal in me Your holy fire/And bring me to life/A vibrant joy I can't contain/You build power from my weakness/Give me life with Your great love/Awaken my soul/Consume all my life/Salvation is now/Awaken my soul".
4. Next up, is the title track, 'A Girl Like Me', a tender ballad that is piano and string based. It reminds us that it is God our Father who gives us our true worth: "I make the same mistakes/No matter what I say/Embarrassed by humanity/So afraid, afraid to let You see/But You still hold me/When I fall apart You see my heart/Every weakness and shame/Yet You still love me/You still believe a girl like me could be worthy of a King/A girl like me".
5. A cover of Kim Walker-Smith's 'Alive' follows. It runs over six minutes and is an energetic modern worship number with pretty generic lyrics: "We will make Him known/Jesus is alive, He's alive!/We will shout it out/Jesus is alive, He's alive!/To all the dry and weary souls/Take joy, take heart/Be filled with hope/I know that He's alive".
6. 'Forgive Me' is a mediocre pop tune about friendship: "You've seen me raw/Broken and scarred/We've been through it all/And we're both so tired/But can we put it aside?/I need you by my side/Let me be the first to say 'Forgive me'".
7. 'Lost' is a memorable rock number with a great electric guitar solo and lyrics that could come from one's diary: "I know You gave everything to me/And my selfishness/I don't put You first, it makes it worse/Each time I fall You still raise me up/And now I see nothing's happened since a game of chance/I keep You close/And You draw me near/Throughout every trial and every tear/And I know You won't ever let me go/And I surrender/I surrender".
8. 'Run Away' also has good rock sensibilities and down to earth lyrics: "If I fall down in the midst of war/You will fight for me, My warrior/You will rescue me/You will hold me near/I won't run away anymore/Today, evermore/I won't run away anymore/No, I won't be discouraged/Today, evermore/Be my strength, be my courage".
9. Joy Williams, Jason Ingram, and Benjamin Glover wrote 'Here With Us', a pretty, modern worship ballad about the Incarnation: "It's still a mystery to me/How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time/How His ears have heard an angel's symphony/But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep/'Hallelujah, hallelujah/Heaven's love reaching down to save the world/Hallelujah, hallelujah, Son of God, Servant King/Here with us, You're here with us'".
10. 'Wherever You Roam' is a ballad of encouragement: "Tomorrow is here/A new sun is rising/ Unknown and exciting/And you're ready to shine/Don't get caught up in the past or spend your life crying/And simply denying the joy that lies ahead/Beyond every dark abyss a Voice/A shout of faithful promise/And outstretching arms to carry you on/There's hope on the way/There's love on your side/There's strength for today/If you go astray/You're never alone".
11.The album ends with two bonus tracks. First up is a 2017 re-do of 'A Wild Rose', the title track from Elias' debut album. I quite like this version here which is rockier and speaks of personal growth: "While you lie sleeping alone in the night/Beneath the wind driven snow/Hope springs eternal, the birth of new life/The bloom, a wild rose/Seasons bring changes, the day loses light/And darkness it comes and goes/Splendid and perfect, eternally bright/God planted each wild rose".
12. Last up is a swell cover of one of Julie's fave songs from her youth group days, 'In the Light'. It was originally written and recorded by Charlie Peacock and made famous by dc talk in the mid-90's. I particularly like these lyrics: "The disease of self runs through my blood like a cancer fatal to my soul/Every attempt on my behalf has failed to bring this sickness under control/Tell me, what's going on inside of me?/I despise my own behavior/This only serves to confirm my suspicions that I'm still a girl in need of a Savior".
Julie produced A GIRL LIKE ME herself, so kudos to her for that! This album contains songs about God's love and His redemptive, transforming power, and His faithfulness. It is made clear that He brings freedom from our past and gives us strength and hope. A desire to rely on God and for revival are evident. There is also a great Christmas themed track. Julie's vocals are solid and put me in mind of Twila Paris and Sandi Patty. Musically, the genres presented are: modern worship, rock, pop, and inspirational. While Julie does all of them well, it sort of leaves me wondering, to borrow a phrase from 'American Idol' judges, who she is as an artist. What I would like to see on her next album is a full out Christian rock record complete with a photo of her in a leather jacket on the front cover. Why do I say this? The CCM market is already crowded with modern worship and pop artists. There is a strong need for more female rock artists in the industry. Julie is at her best on A GIRL LIKE ME when she is backed by strong electric guitar parts provided by Dave Cleveland. I truly think Julie has the ability to add a bit of grit to her voice at times and produce a solid rock effort through and through. It would be beneficial to co-write a track or two with an already established rock musician. That being said, I am rating A GIRL LIKE ME 85%. If you are just looking to download a few tracks, I suggest 'Unchained', 'Lost', 'Here With Us', and 'A Wild Rose (2017 Version)'. For more info visit: www.julieliasmusic.com and www.auroraministries.com.