Stop & Listen - Bethany Dillon

Singer/songwriter Bethany Dillon was just fifteen when she released her first full-length album, but now at only a mere twenty-one years of age, she is already introducing her 4th studio recording, “Stop & Listen.” Now, not being a major fan in the past, this may not be the most accurate review in the case an individual who has been a listener in the past, but to me, this project is somewhat less than what I expected. Not that it is especially bad, but that it doesn’t seem to leave room for anything really good. The first half of the album stays mid-tempo almost without exception, but even through the primarily slow surroundings, on several occasions the lyrics hit home, and that is where most buyers will receive their money’s worth. The project’s lead single, “Everyone to Know” explains off the bat Bethany’s popularity, as she has both vocal and songwriting talent. But while she does well enough, the production is what lags in the long run. Again, nothing is particularly wrong here. They just took an unoriginal, Folk/Pop sound and incorporated it into all 10 tracks without overstepping any bounds, or adding anything new along the way. It sounds solid, but the only problem is that by the time you get about halfway, the listener starts to nod. Otherwise, that’s about the only problem here. The disc does certainly have its highs, “So Close” is a nice tune that also offers some serious substance: "I'm so close to being so far away from You/I have nothing when I'm living apart from You,” while “Reach Out” comes with a welcome change of pace as well as a catchy, singable melody. So though this record is blemished, is it maybe still worth your time to Stop and Listen to it? Well, if you are a fan of Bethany's previous music, or of contemporary christian tinted Folk/Pop, than this could be a CD worth picking up. But if not, then you can either take the information I have given you here and come to a conclusion, or you can take the chance of using a few dollars to give it a try yourself. Personally, there are a few tracks here which I could see owning, but the album as a whole is not a total necessity. ~ Christian Lingner

3 1/2 of 5 stars