Alathea - Alathea

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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke

Remember when SHeDAISY came out and had a few hits off the bat? Remember how many people said stuff about them being "too pop?" Well, if you like harmonies like that of SHeDAISY mixed with more "earthy" tones, then Alathea (pronounced uh-LAY-thee-uh) is the band for you. Like SHeDAISY, The three members of Alathea have written a winning collection of songs. The trio, Mandee Radford, Carrie Theobald and Cristi Johnson are obviously not sisters but they sure sound like they are. From East Tennessee, Alathea is deeply rooted in earthy styles like bluegrass and folk mixed with some pop sounds mixed in with their faith-bearing lyrics.

The beautiful tone from the cello (of John Catchings) opens up "Indian Creek." Quickly after the short intro, the dobro, acoustic bass, banjo and Mandee's own acoustic guitar blend together behind some wonderful lyrics about wandering this earth only to find one's faith and soul in a wonderful place, nature.

"Faithful One" sounds like a hook-filled Dixie Chicks song with the classy dobro sounds backing some classy vocals. The lyrics of the song, which the trio wrote, are about god but could also be about a strong "rock" of a husband. In many ways love songs and Christian songs contain similar themes, as evidenced by this track.

"Smile On Me" is a fun and has a pop style to it. The lyrics are all about not letting stuff get you down and that life is there for you to run with. The chorus is catchy, the music backs up the lyrics well and this song probably will be a Christian radio hit and could really be a very good country hit too.

"Runaway Heart" tells the tale of a woman who has lost her way and is yearning to find a better place. It’s a melodic track that has great dobro sounds backing up the modern country/pop arrangements.

The fiddle-laced "Hike To Maine" is a picturesque look about finding your own "Heaven on earth." It's a place we all strive to find and when we do we have no regrets about leaving other places behind because it's a great place to be in, no matter how tired we all may feel. I can see this track finding its way on to a major label artist's record, if Alathea doesn't have a hit with it first.

"My Family" is a sweet song that praises God for giving them the family they have and has them thinking how lucky they must be to be blessed with such good people around them. Alathea sees their families as but a wing of God's love.

Sure this is a Christian record but it's also a very well produced and performed country CD. One must not forget that Nashville is not only a country music Mecca but also the home to most of the major Christian record labels. Alathea happens to be signed to Michael W. Smith's newer major label Rocketown Records (named after one of his songs) but they have more country sounding songs in their repertoire than many of those who receive country airplay. Country music and Christian music have always gone together and Alathea bridges the two genres together quite beautifully on their wonderful Rocketown Records debut What Life Is All About. If you're a Christian who loves country music, check out Alathea's CD, it's one that will stick with you for long after it has stopped playing.

Song List:

1. Indian Creek
2. Faithful One
3. I Will Walk
4. Smiled On Me
5. O Love...
6. Emmanuel
7. Broken Down
8. Runaway Heart
9. Hike To Maine
10. Always
11. My Family