These Cold and Rusted Lungs

Sounds like … a cross between Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin's alt-country style with whimsical vocals reminiscent of Leigh NashAt a glance … Amy Court's songs of tested faith resonate both musically and artisticallyTrack Listing Hold You Up In You Breathe Drowning The Liars Stand O Holy God Shiver Inevitable I Told You So

If you're in the mood for something happy, light, and upbeat to listen to in your car on the way to work in the morning … Amy Courts' full-length debut These Cold and Rusted Lungs is definitely not the album for you. It's essentially the difference between Amy Grant's Heart in Motion and Behind the Eyes—both stellar offerings in their own right, but your enjoyment of each depends on what you're looking for in a listening experience.

If you happen to be struggling and wrestling with God in the midst of it, then the words and music that Courts offers will be soothing to your sou. Not with candy-coated sweetness, mind you, since Courts isn't afraid to embrace emotionally complex subject matter.

On "Hold You Up," she opens up about the hurt and frustration that happens even in the most committed and loving of relationships. Her impassioned vocals will send a chill up your spine in the hauntingly beautiful ballad "Breathe," as she poignantly tackles the theme of abandoned hope. Later, she wrestles with personal demons on "The Liars" and "Drowning," two tracks that will resonate with anyone who has gone through a spiritually dry time, experiencing the fear and disillusionment that often comes with it.

These Cold and Rusted Lungs probably sounds like a downright depressing project that requires Valium before listening, but there's still a pervasive sense of hope throughout. Songs like "In You" clearly point to the Light that shines brightly in the dark. In reference to the album title, Courts says it's a reminder that "comfort comes in knowing these cold and rusted lungs weary from waves of lies can always be made to breathe; and a heart made plastic by past rejection and love lost can always be made real."

Courts' reflections on the tough times are never self-indulgent, but rather honest reflections on humanity that simply remind us again just how much we really need God in the first place.

For more information on Amy Courts, check out www.amycourts.com.