Artist Name: Allison Lynn
Website: www.allisonlynn.com
Album Title: “Real Big Fan”
Song Titles:
1. Do You Wanna Be My Neighbor In Gloryland?
2. Wedding At Cana
3. Abide With Me
4. Sin Ain’t Nothing But The Blues
5. Movin’ Up To Gloryland
6. Shepherd Of The Hills
7. Real Big Fan
8. In Less Than A Moment
9. At The Cross
10. Faith Will Take You Farther

Allison Lynn is a relatively new Southern Gospel artist.  She is a Canadian who has recently moved from Toronto, ON to Nashville, TN in order to pursue her music career.  She has also been on staff at Ben Speer’s Stamps-Baxter School Of Music.  Here’s how Allison introduces herself on her website and blog: “My great passion in life is telling stories. For many years, I did this through music, theatre, television, film, and any other art form I could find. But two years ago, God touched my life in a deep and profound way. I had always been a Christian, but I hadn't always followed the Christian lifestyle. In the summer of 2005, I asked God to tell me His plan for me, and He answered loud and clear! Since that day, I have dedicated it all to God - my voice, my talent, my life... everything. God has blessed me and taken me down paths I never could have imagined on my own!”

“Real Big Fan” is Allison’s latest album.  It contains songs from some well-known songwriters: Wayne Haun, Joel Lindsey, Daryl Williams, and Lee Roy Abernathy.  Allison’s husband, Gerald Flemming, also contributed a song, and Allison herself contributed a couple as well.  Finally, there are a couple of arrangements of “tried and true” hymns to round out the mix.

Now, let’s take a look at each of the songs on the album.

The first song is the light-hearted, up-tempo “Do You Wanna Be My Neighbor In Gloryland?”  This is one of the songs written by Allison herself, and it has a fun sound accompanied by a clarinet.  The tempo slows down a bit for the next song, “Wedding At Cana”.  This is another Allison Lynn composition, and it has a smooth sound to it that’s nice to listen to.  Song #3 is an arrangement of one of my personal favorite hymns, “Abide With Me”.  This is a slower, ballad-style hymn with an acoustic accompaniment that fits it very well.  The rhythm and the melody have been reworked, but that doesn’t take away from the song in the least.  It’s a beautiful rendition of a great hymn.

Song #4 is a medium-tempo song entitled, “Sin Ain’t Nothing But The Blues”.  From the title, you’d probably guess that this song has a “blues” sound to it.  If so, then you’d be correct.  Allison’s voice shows evidence of her vocal training, but that somehow seems a bit out of place in a “blues-style” song.  The fifth song is one that every Southern Gospel fan will recognize- “Moving Up To Gloryland”.  I’ve never heard a soloist do this song- only groups.  Allison’s rendition is a smoother and slightly slower version than the one with which we’re all familiar, and it’s hard not to hear the Catherals singing when you think of this song.  Overall, though, it’s not a bad rendition.  The tempo then slows down considerably for another ballad entitled, “Shepherd Of The Hills”.  This is simply a beautiful song, and I think it would be an excellent choice for a single at some point.  This has to be my absolute favorite song from this album.

The seventh song is the title cut- “Real Big Fan”.  This is a “jazzy-style” song written by Allison’s husband, Gerald Flemming.  This is followed by another medium-tempo ballad-style song, “In Less Than A Moment”.  After hearing this song and “Shepherd Of The Hills’, I think that this type of song is what suits Allison’s voice the best.  This is an excellent song that Allison sings very nicely.  Song #9 is an arrangement of another familiar hymn- “At The Cross”.  The melody has not been changed in the least, and the arrangement is solid.

The album ends with the up-tempo “Faith Will Take You Farther”.  This is another light-sounding song similar to the first song on the album.  I think it was a nice touch to end the album in the same vein in which it started.

I would classify this as a solid album, especially considering that this is Allison’s first Gospel album.  The songwriting is good, and the variety of song styles and tempos is a definite strength.  I think that Allison sounds best vocally in her mid-to-lower register.  Her tones, at times, sound a bit nasal, but this is mostly noticeable when she goes into her upper register.  If she can work a little bit on “opening up” some of her tones, it would take her to a new level vocally.  The slow, smooth ballads on this album were spot-on, though.  These songs truly showed off Allison’s talent and the potential she has.  I would give this album a rating of 7 out of a possible 10 microphones!

Favorites: “Abide With Me”, “Shepherd Of The Hills”, and “In Less Than A Moment”