Gold

The third album from contemporary Christian standout Britt Nicole is a laser beam of positivity. Its intense, narrowly focused beam of empowerment picks up right where 2009's The Lost Get Found left off. Rising through the ranks has given Nicole ample opportunity to shower teen and preteen young women with her unmistakable message of identity. For the most part, Gold is a return to the dance club fare that has become her calling card -- a slickly produced tour that pairs her powerful voice with synth beats resembling many of the decade's hot pop singers from Jessie J to Ke$ha to Katy Perry. "All This Time" is one of the more intimate tracks, describing the singer's story of personal belief (and incidentally not sounding too unlike the well-known poem "Footprints") with the chorus "You've been walking with me all this time." Nicole never sacrifices substance for style, which is refreshing considering how well the album comes off as current and relevant. ~ Jared Johnson, Rovi