Tired of Singing Sad Songs

This engaging folk-pop effort blends the confessional lyricism of Joni Mitchell and Shawn Colvin with the wide-eyed fervor of ‘70s-style Jesus Music artists like Keith Green and Randy Stonehill. Geoghegan possesses a fresh-toned voice hinting at sorrows even in her honeyed upper range. She matches it with a painterly songwriting ability filled with images of overcast skies, distant lovers and hard-won happiness. From the opening track “Woke Up to Rain” to the closing tune “Sweeter,” Geoghegan traces her emotional recovery with poetic candor. Her praise songs — especially “Lord Deliver Me” and “Unfettered” — are humble, self-revelatory prayers. “Hallelujah, What a Mess” is a wry glimpse of the singer’s interior life and “3 Sips of Beauty” is a bittersweet character sketch. Geoghegan’s mostly piano-centered songs are given sympathetic backdrops by producer Ben Shive, augmented by guest players like Caedmon’s Call guitarist Andy Osenga. “I’m sick of trying to impress,” Sara Beth sings at one point — but whatever her intentions, this is a most impressive first release.