Rachael Petit
Wilted Flowers
Broken Mirror
The wilted flowers that Rachael Petit sings about on her debut CD have nothing to do with her voice, which is alive with the arrival of spring and a love for God. Yet there is a melancholy side to her lyrics, which have the feel of torn diary pages from a young Christian girl dealing with issues of spiritual faith and real-life disappointment.
People often have this image of Christians feeling that they are perfect, but that is usually not the case; in fact, they often struggle with personal demons, and it is only through their belief in the Lord that they can pull themselves through. Such is the case with Petit’s songs, which have a nagging sadness at their core. “I’ve made some choices down the line/I wish I’d never done,” she sings on the musically upbeat “Slip Away.” It opens up the theme of the album: God’s love is unconditional. Petit never specifies what her mistakes are; they’re open to interpretation, and listeners can fill the void with their own experiences.
As one can expect from a Christian record, the sound is clean with slick enough production that gives the acoustic guitars a glaze that sparkles but doesn’t overwhelm the ears in studio goo. The production is respectful to Petit’s subtle charms, allowing her vocals to soar when they needs to.
The Christian tag shouldn’t turn off non-believers; this is not a record of sermons. It’s about the troubled journey from adolescence to adulthood.
Rachael Petit: http://www.rachaelpetit.com
