The first great new voice of 2004 has arrived. And what a voice it is. Reminiscent of Janis Joplin, Jennifer Knapp, Sarah McLachlan, and Joan Osborn, yet with a style all her own, Sarah Kelly may be a freshman artist but she proves on Take Me Away that she burst out of her creative cocoon long ago.

Lyrically the album remains in mostly worshipful territory; even the songs that are more focused on the issues of life (such as "Life Is") still have a vertical element to them. Musically, Kelly sways back and forth between piano and guitar foundations, with more time on the guitar, but sounds great in either arena. In some ways one is inclined to relate Kelly back to Jeremy Camp, who also just released a worship album. She has the same level of impassioned vocals; strong enough to make a good song sound great, and a song that's not quite there sound as if it is. You can't argue with that kind of talent, nor can you teach it. It's just something that you're born with, and Sarah Kelly has that gift. Take Me Away is a fine debut album and we look forward to hearing the kinds of musical heights she might be able to reach with a few more years of seasoning and maturity under her belt. Recommended.