Larue

Phil and Natalie LaRue, brother and sister artists, are such fine performers! The songs they wrote are filled with contemporary issues and themes. Their vocals are indeed excellent and I admit I was surprised by how different their styles are - pleasantly surprised. This is a fine debut CD with wonderful music pregnant with meaning for the believer. This is excellent Contemporary Christian music and the best song on the CD - "Someday" - poignantly expresses both longing and hope simultaneously to the listener.This is a fine CD without a bad song on it. I recommend this CD with five stars.

Love them

LaRue has a unique sound that is pleasing to those of us who get tired of the same old thing. The harmonies are great. The lyrics are sound. Philip's solo album is also great.

I was a promoter of Christian Concerts in six states from 2000-2006. I have worked with 230 plus different artists. Very few artists I have worked with have made the impact on me as Philip and Natalie LaRue. The last I saw them was over 3 years ago, but these two have a passion for Jesus Christ that is so genuine. Their vocals blend so beautifully that it instantly touches most listeners. Transparent and Reaching are my favorite CD's but it does not matter which one you listen to. Their music makes you want to simply turn off all distractions and just listen. It is timeless. I got to spend the day with Philip and Natalie during a performace scheduled at Reardon Auditorium in Anderson, IN. The day started out with an interview with Eli and LaRue on 98.7FM to a concert that night with LaRue, Jon McLaughlin, Eli and Downhere. It was not a tour. Just a night where all four artists were traveling through town. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular concerts I have ever coordinated. All hands seem to be lifted high when all four groups closed the night singing together the song 'God of Wonders'. I took photos of the night and as I photographed during that last song, I felt as if I was in slow motion, in a room of 600 students and I was the only person in the room with my eyes open. It moved me. Thank you for the memory Philip and Natalie. Amazonians ... If you have not listened to Philip and Natalie, give it a try. I recommend the two mentioned earlier, but they are all good. I came across a my space sight where Philip LaRue has now started a solo career. I hope one day he comes on tour back through Indiana. It may not have Natalie singing and dancing in her bare feet, but I know it would be good.

I'm becoming a regular reviewer of Christian albums here on Amazon.com, So I've decided to create some order to my reviews in hopes that I can be more useful to you the surfer. :-) Here goes...THE ARTISTS: LaRue is a brother/sister Christian music duo. They are both teenagers (apparently very close in age). This is their first album, released in 1999 on Reunion Records (the home of "The Great One" Michael W. Smith). THE ALBUM: To be blunt, LaRue is quite possibly the greatest thing to happen to the "rock side" of contemporary christian music in years. These two are young and fresh, with their own unique sound, and their music is bursting with creativity as well as quality. These two have the musical talent to catch the ears of ANYONE, no matter what their beliefs... What's more... they have personally penned all the songs on this album (no recycled second-hand songwriting here). This album is full of hope, but at the same time indisputably real. THE VOCALS: Philip and Natalie have two very distinct (and different) vocal styles. Natalie's is the hardest to describe. Her voice is young and extremely fresh; I believe it to be unique among female artists. Philip seems to put more of himself into the music (he's seen holding a VERY sweet guitar in one of the booklet photos). His voice reminds me at times of that of the lead singers from Better Than Ezra (secular) or Smalltown Poets (christian), both excellent soft rock voices with a bit of grit. But only at times; Philip very clearly also has a style all his own.Their two voices blend together with an almost-perfect balance of togetherness/individuality. I really like what I hear from both of them.THE MUSIC: Most albums that try to blend the edgyness of rock with the approachability of contemporary end up splitting their albums between the two styles (Even "The Great One" has been guilty of that sometimes). But Philip and Natalie LaRue have managed to create their own special corner inbetween the two styles. I think it's near-impossible to compare their music to that of ANY other single artist (my best attempt: the first four bars of "Someday" bear a resemblance to Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn")... Their music style combines the best elements of several groups and styles. But their arrangement and delivery is too original to categorize.FAVORITE SONG(S): Probably "Someday", a song about the longing almost all of us have for that one perfect person to share your life with. I attempted to express in words here just what this song says, but it's impossible for me to do it. Listen to the sound clip, or better yet buy the album! The first two radio hits off of LaRue were "Waiting Room" and "Reason". These two songs had the catchiest radio-type tune, but the entire album is of equally-high or higher quality.FOR WHAT TASTE: I can only speak personally, but those who enjoy the likes of Smalltown Poets, Caedmon's Call, Eli and Jennifer Knapp will probably find LaRue to their liking.THE FINAL WORD: LaRue conveys several artistic necessities that Christian music sadly doesn't convey enough... passion that shows honesty and faith that doesn't ignore reality. These guys are in a word, fantastic. Get their album, you won't be disappointred.