Search - Joy Williams :: By Surprise

This music is addictive

jared | florida | 03/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"1. new day - 3/5 the album starts off with my least favorite song, but a good song, and at least it only gets better from here..2. i wonder - 5/5 this song is lovely. "why this and why that and why me and why not and.... why do i feel this way?". i had the melody "every little thing that my mind can question, just brings me back to one thing: god's love for me" in my head one day, but i didn't know what it was from (cuz i had only heard the cd a couple times). and i was wondering what song it was from, and i found out when i listened to the cd again3. every moment - 5/5 beautiful (:4. by surprise - 4/5 good song.5. surrender - 5/5 the reason i got the album. awesome song. my favorite on the album, although some others are almost as good.6. desperate - 4/5 nice little mellow song7. everyday - 4/5 nice little upbeat song8. wish - 5/5 kinda nichole-nordeman-ish (is that a word?)9. beautiful somehow - 5/5 neat. i could have sworn i heard this song before, but i'm probably crazy10. the love of the lord endures - 5/5 "if there's one thing i know for sure, the love of the lord endures."definitely worth getting if you like jennifer knapp, nichole nordeman, and/or rebecca st. james"

A "New Day," a new--if incohesive--new sound

M. Carter | Rock Hill, SC United States | 04/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On BY SURPRISE, CCM singer Joy Williams seems to have contracted a serious case of multiple personality disorder.



Williams's eponymous debut album offered a well-organized, unified collection of upbeat pop tunes and soft ballads. Here, Williams seems unable to choose her sound: Should she rock like Sheryl Crow, emote like Celine Dion, or wax ethereal like Norah Jones? Williams never quite answers this question.



Still, it's fun to hear her try. BY SURPRISE roams giddily all over the musical map, delving into rock, pop, heavy-hitter diva balladry, and soft pop music. "New Day" is a whopper of a rock tune, boasting a huge, dynamic chorus and near-tribal drums. "Surrender," too, surrounds a simple declaration of faith with an anthemic refrain and crashing drums/background sounds. Williams ponders the meaning of life in "I Wonder," another fine pop/rock tune, and "By Surprise" sounds like the guitar-heavy ditty Sheryl Crow never recorded.



As she moves into Dion's territory, Williams's vocal pyrotechnics on the orchestral "Every Moment" help the song transcend its somewhat cliched lyrics. "The Love of the Lord Endures" offers another, more successful foray into diva-esque balladry with a passionate declaration of God's power. "Desperate" and "Beautiful Somehow" tread on Norah Jones's coattails with their understated vocals and spare arrangements.



While BY SURPRISE may not seem as singular and unified as her debut, Williams's sophomore album is nonetheless a refreshing stab at trying some new things.



And change, Crow herself sings, "will do you good.""

Good follow-up album from Joy

Faye Hickman | USA | 07/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"1. New Day 4/5 Good, catchy song.



2. I Wonder 4/5 Good song with good lyrics.



3. Every Moment 3/5 OK song that has really good lyrics.



4. By Surprise 4/5 Good song that's put together very well.



5. I Surrender 5/5 The best song on the album! I love this song!



6. Desperate 2/5 Not the best song on the album...kind of boring, but not terrible.



7. Every Day 4/5 Good song that makes you want to dance.



8. Wish 2/5 Not really all that good to me...



9. Beautiful Somehow 2/5 Kind of boring...



10. The Love of the Lord Endures 5/5 Beautiful song. I love the lyrics. The lyrics touch your heart.





"