As far as I know, there is no female Christian rocker that sounds like No Doubt's Gwen Stefani... until now. Sonia V. is an indie chick rocker with spunk, emerging into the music scene with her first album, a thing or 2.
The most impressionable attribute Sonia V. brings to the CD is her powerhouse vocal performance. When I first popped her CD in the player and before I knew anything about Sonia V., the first thing I thought was, "Wow, this sounds just like Gwen Stefani... but weird, it isn't Gwen Stefani," which is true. If her bright red hair and her unique clothing style don't catch your attention, her extraordinary vocals will.
Sonia's main message is that it's ok to be yourself, which is a very positive message especially for the younger generation that's having to grow up in a world where identity is stressed as a product of appearance and success. If you like to sing along to CD's, a thing or 2 will provide you with XX songs with clear, simple lyrics that are easy to catch on and sing along to. The lyrics are good but they are a little too simplistic; however, light topics and simple rhymes are easier for people to catch onto and understand, and if Sonia's trying to reach the younger generation and people who aren't Christians, the lyrics fit well.
After listening to the album a few times, I'm under the impression that it doesn't fully capture all that Sonia V is capable of. Though I am impressed that Sonia is writing her own music, most of the songs sound almost the same. It's somewhat repetitive - similar chord progressions, similar vocal progressions, similar beats, etc. For example, "Falling Into You" has impressive lyrics and a nice, slower melody, but it wasn't Sonia's best vocal performance. "More" is another song with exceptional lyrical quality, but it has such a generic rock song formation.
One song that really stands out to me is "Hey Now" because it opens with acoustic guitar, making the song quite different from the rest of the punk-rock tunes on the record. Yet the lyrics were too predictable: "Take over my heart, take over my deepest part/ I want you, I need you, I love you so/ I'm never never gonna let you go," but I can see how this would appeal to younger kids.
Sonia V. is a fabulous addition to Christian music. Her style is unique to the industry and I give her a lot of credit for writing her own music and stepping out of the Christian music, but I still think there's a lot of room for growing. As she develops as an artist and song writer, hopefully she'll start to move away from the generic rock melodies and head towards more unique songs to accentuate her outstanding vocals. As a whole, a thing or 2 makes for a very enjoyable album, a great start for Sonia and an awesome addition to the Christian music scene.
3.5 tocks
Similar sounding releases
1999BroomtreeTransparent
1998WilshireWilshire
1998Eric ChampionNatural
1998PlaidUnderstanding God
2003Addison RoadBreaking Beautifully
2005Amanda Halula42
