Krystal Meyers -
Dying for a Heart (
Artist's MySpace)
Krystal Meyers looks super hot on the cover of her latest album. No, that's not the (only) reason I bought the CD. I really enjoyed her first album and wanted to hear her new songs.
This album is not a sophomore slump nor does it build significantly on Krystal Meyers' previous effort. She was about to turn eighteen when her first album debuted, and the album was full of punk rock songs an eighteen-year-old would probably write--fun to listen to but not a lot of depth. Her second album was just released just a little over a year later. This nineteen-year-old effort simply didn't show evidence of any growth, additional maturity, or additional depth. The
Christianity Today review says
Dying for a Heart has a "generally derivative feel of her debut."
The album did not have any tracks that stood out as radio hit potential like "Anticonformity" on Meyers' first album. She did have a couple of lyrically solid songs. "The Situation" takes on sexual purity--a great song but not really a subject matter that gets a lot of radio play. "Together" is a powerful song about the natural longing for friendship. Unfortunately, "Stand and Scream," the song written by
Plumb does not contain the depth characteristic of her own efforts.
A year is not a long time to produce an album especially with what I'm sure was a full touring schedule. I saw her in concert with the Newsboys following the release of her debut. Hopefully she'll spend a little bit longer on her next effort and give it a little more depth. It might not be as great as it could have been, but if you're a fan of female punk rock,
Dying for a Heart would make an excellent addition to your collection.