I Dream of You

JJ Heller’s eighth album, I Dream of You, falls into the category of “children’s music,” but that description is somewhat limiting. The songs here are more substantial and thought-provoking than your typical lullabies or nursery rhymes. As a Christian singer/songwriter, Heller has long dealt with themes of love and family from a perspective of faith. She shifts her focus to the younger set on I Dream of You without compromising her lyrical insight. Combining new versions of five previously recorded tunes with six new compositions, the album has a sparkling folk-pop sound built around acoustic guitars, light keyboards, and orchestral touches. Heller tempers her motherly tone with a sense of life’s larger heartaches. “The Sun Will Rise,” “I Get to Be the One,” and title track are warm, reassuring, and quietly wise. Tracks like “I Know You Will” hint at a greater spiritual love between God and mankind. “Sailing the Sugar Sea” and “Boat Song” contain an adult pang of longing under their whimsical surfaces. Smart and sincere, I Dream of You holds appeal for families beyond Christian music circles.