Album Review :
Kerrie Roberts - Once Upon a Time EP

In the fall of 2011, Kerrie Roberts decided to write a song called ‘Rescue Me’, used as the theme song for the ABC new fall show, ‘Once Upon a Time’, which had its season finale today. Also the title of Kerrie’s new EP; the album includes two acoustic tracks in ‘No Matter What’ and ‘Beautiful to Me’, as well as 2 new tracks, ‘Loveable’ and ‘Without Love’. Holistically, this 5 track EP is about hope and happy endings in a society that needs more of each; and with its reflective and often revealing lyrics, together with the beautiful worshipful acoustic moments, listeners are encouraged that the Lord God is our rescuer and we don’t have to do everything on our own. Once we realise this fact, we can fully live life to the way God intended.

The first single of the EP is the song ‘Rescue Me’. Written with a mainstream feel, the lyrics can be interpreted in another way. With the persona possibly crying out to a friend or a boy/girl friend; asking them to rescue them, to ‘…show me who I am…’; we know as Christians that God knows who we are. We don’t need to seek identity in other things that would fill us up but leave us dry on the inside after a while. This is our identity: we are the children of God; and God loves to give good gifts to His kids. This song can also be revealed as a prayer towards God, as Kerrie sings out in the chorus, ‘…fight for me if it’s not to late, help me breathe again…’. We all need reassurance, even when we know in our heads that God is for us and not against us; that God will continue to fight for us everyday. We know that God always keeps His promises, but we keep asking the question ‘…fight for me if it’s not too late…’, perhaps because the devil can be such a great deceiver, making us feel unlovable. We still sometimes doubt the Lord’s love, but it’s only human to. Through the whole process, God is standing on the other side, showing us who we are; a new creation in Christ. The powerful guitars and interesting synth key sounds at the beginning of the song have enhanced the song; appealing to the mainstream arena because of the TV series. This is an interesting way for God’s message to move forward in the media industry, and is definitely welcomed on my part.

‘Loveable’ is the next song on the EP, and is my favourite. As Kerrie sings out in the chorus filled with piano and drum kicks; ‘…know that you are lovable, beautiful, wonderfully made. A child of God, no matter what the hurt inside of [you]…might say. So hold on to the truth, you are lovable…’ we as listeners understand the power of words and how they can either hurt or encourage someone. There are many people around the world that do not believe that they are loveable, because of what was said to them earlier in their lives. We need to be careful what we say to the people that we meet and be prepared to encourage them in situations where it may seem there is none. We are reminded by the song that ‘…words can break, words can build, be filled with grace or make tears spill…’ and because of this, we must have discernment in asking what to say to people to encourage them; that their identity is not based on words spoken over them, but rather what God says they are.

The rest of the album just as good as the first two tracks. ‘Without Love’ is a dance tune filled with acoustic guitars and snare drums with a unique beat, speaking about how we do things with the greatest intentions but it’ll amount to nothing if we don’t have love in our lives- ‘…without love, it doesn’t mean much, without love, it’s never enough, this life that I’ve been given, means nothing if I’m living without love…’ We need to love without agendas and preconceived ideas. The 2 final acoustic tracks (No Matter What, Beautiful to Me) are a pleasant addition to the EP, and it is in these songs that Kerrie’s vocal ability is able to shine. These two songs, my favourite from her debut, highlight the promises of God and how He ‘…[reached] through time with [His sacrifice, His]…wounded hands holding this fragile life…’ God is painting the picture of our lives and though we may not see it until completion, we know the love that God has for us, and it is through this that we are able to trust that God has the best for us.

Overall: As the EP ends, it can be seen that the theme threading through each song is the love that God has for His creation. Through these simple, yet emotive and reflective songs; listeners can get a glimpse into the very heart of the Father, and understand the ache it caused Him when He let His Son suffer in our place. This EP has made me appreciate Kerrie’s honest lyrics, and has me in anticipation for Time For The Show later this year. If you’re a fan of Francesca Battistelli or Meredith Andrews, then Once Upon a Time EP is for you!

RIYL: Francesca Battistelli, Meredith Andrews, The Afters, Bethany Dillon

Buy the Album: iTunes/Amazon mp3