{Feature It} The House You’re Building from Audrey Assad

The More to Be writing team is growing!  We’re excited to have two of our team members, Linnea and Natalie, transition into regular writing roles as they co-host Feature It Friday.  Both these college gals are super excited to offer their voice to the blog through sharing about music, movies, books, and culture!

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I confess.  I have a recent obsession.

Audrey Assad.

Her debut album, The House You’re Building, was named Christian Album of 2010 on Amazon.com and Christian Breakthrough Album of the Year on iTunes. Somehow, she totally flew under my radar. Actually that’s not completely true. My mom mentioned Audrey’s name once and said I should check out her music. So I went on iTunes and listened to the 30-second preview of her number one hit, “For Love of You.” It was a little too pop-y for me (think ZOEgirl from 2005), and I quickly forgot all about Miss Assad.

Fast-forward to February 2012, when, I kid you not, Audrey’s entire album suddenly appeared in my iTunes. The only explanation I can come up with is that my computer must have synced with my mom’s while I was home for Christmas, but I didn’t notice the new additions until February. I listened through The House You’re Building one evening, on a whim, and fell in love. I put the songs on my iPod right before I left on a mission trip to Panama, and they played a big part in sustaining me spiritually through that time.

The two quiet piano tracks “Restless” and “Show Me” are incredibly beautiful, intimate conversations with God that remind me of my favorite Psalms. “You are the keeper of my heart / And I’m restless, I’m restless / ‘Till I rest in You,” Audrey sings in her pure, even haunting voice. And I won’t even bother quoting from “Show Me.” The lyrics are too exquisite for a sample to do them justice. Seriously, listen to it right now. It only takes a few minutes, and trust me, you won’t regret it.

Aside from these breathtaking ballads, the more upbeat “Everything Is Yours” and “Carry Me”  had me tapping along, marveling at the truth behind statements like, “As I carry this cross / You’ll carry me.”  The bouncy guitar track “Ought to Be” reminds me of Jill Paquette’s folky style, showing that Audrey isn’t limited to her primary instrument, the piano, which she plays with the easy skill of someone like Sara Groves or Fernando Ortega.

As I mentioned earlier, her big radio single “For Love of You” isn’t my favorite, nor is the title track “The House You’re Building.” But give the album a try, chances are with the variety of styles, you’ll find something you like. And if you do make the journey to the iTunes store, you might notice that Audrey let out a second record back in February, right around the time I started listening to her older stuff. Look for a review of her sophomore album, Heart, in a future Feature It Friday article!

What do you think of Audrey’s music? 

Do you have a favorite song?

2 thoughts on “{Feature It} The House You’re Building from Audrey Assad”

  1. Thanks Linnea,

    Love your write up on Audrey Assard. Enjoying listening to the song show me right now 🙂 Love the softness of her voice so soothing and the piano so simple but powerful.

    Love Linda

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