When she was eight years old Brittany Jester sang ‘Away in a
Manger’ in front of some seniors. Soon
after, she began singing at private parties, churches, festivals, and sporting
events. In 2001 she made her national TV
debut on ‘It’s Showtime’ at the Apollo in Harlem, New York. She has opened for the Atlanta Braves and
shared the stage with the likes of Louise Mandrell. Brittany’s bio says: “God loves you. It’s in His love that we find freedom and
forgiveness”. Her self-titled debut EP
was released in 2014 by 4S Ministries and was produced by Jeff Pardo.
‘Tell Me’, the first radio single, was written by Jeff Pardo
and Lindsay Ciresi. This modern
pop/dance song finds God urging an individual to trust and confide in Him: “Why
you hiding what you’re feeling?/Keeping it locked down somewhere below/Every
question, every failure/Don’t you know that I already know?/I made your heart
and I called it perfect/And you should know I don’t make mistakes/You’ll never
fall where my arms won’t reach you/Just open up, let me in today/Tell me/I
won’t turn away/Just tell me/You will see my love’s never gonna change”. ‘Cry Alone’, was penned by Jeff Pardo and
Brittany, as is the next song. It is
adult contemporary in nature and speaks of God’s faithfulness: “There’s a love
that will not leave you/There’s a friend who knows your name/Even through the
darkest shadow/He is with you all the way/And when the tears are falling, you
should know/You don’t cry, you don’t cry alone/No matter where you are or what you
face/His arms will hold you close always”.
‘I Will Follow You’ is an inspirational ballad that serves
as a prayer: “My God, I come to surrender/My will, my dreams, for Yours are
better/How could my heart turn away?/You are faithful, God, always/I will
follow You/I will follow You/Through the fire, through the rain/Wherever You
lead me to/I will follow/Follow You.../I will go where You send me, send
me”. Jeff Pardo and Molly Reed wrote
‘Let Your Love In’. It is a peppy song
of spiritual surrender: “I’m gonna let Your love in/I want to drop these heavy
chains/I want to trust everything You say/Open up my heart/And I’m gonna let
Your love in/I believe that/I’m forgiven/And You smile when/You look at me,
so/I’ll let my fear go/I’ll let my faith grow/Let my life show/I’ve been
redeemed”.
Brittany Jester’s short four song EP’s strength is that it
should appeal to both youth and their parents, musically and lyrically. Fans of artists such as Britt Nicole, Natalie
Grant¸ Avalon, and Tammy Trent, should purchase this EP. Brittany has a lovely voice and the songs are
catchy and infectious. I can’t wait to
hear a full length album from her. A
couple of the photographs included with the EP are among the prettiest I’ve
seen accompanying a CCM project. I’m
rating this one 90%. For more info
visit: www.brittanyjester.com.