God and a Girl

Despite the title of her 2008 debut album, there’s little that’s “girly” about Joy Whitlock. She displays the confidence of a full-grown woman in these tracks, matching her muscular Christian faith with an aggressive, multi-layered folk-rock sound. God and a Girl introduces Whitlock as an edgy acoustic rocker in the mode of Jennifer Knapp, acknowledging her weaknesses as she struggles for a closer walk with Christ. There’s a palpable sense of spiritual conflict in tracks like “Faith Don’t Fail,” “Not Through With You,” and “Fake,” conveyed by the anguished throb in Whitlock’s vocals. She sings from the viewpoint of a desperate believer in “Psalms” and “Traces of You,” then speaks with a sanctified voice in “Don’t Look Down” and “Behind the Scenes.” Whitlock lightens up for the loping “Cost of Being Free,” adopts a contemplative tone for “In This Hour” and gets spacey on the psychedelia-tinged “Day of the Lord.” God and a Girl can be appreciated as an urgent, at times painful dialogue between Whitlock and her Savior. On its musical merits alone, the album ranks among the most arresting singer/songwriter debuts of the season. You go, girl.