Ayiesha Woods

“Introducing Ayiesha Woods”

Gotee Records

12 tracks @ 52:04      

            Whoa.  This is one of the better records that I’ve listened to this year.

            tobymac discovered Ayiesha when he heard her song “Crazy” on a Jamaican radio station.  Describing her musical style, Woods says, “I don’t want to be placed in one specific category.  I think I represent a lot of different styles of music.  My goal is to be able to put out a record with a sound that has a lot of different things for people to appreciate at one time.”

            Born in New York, Woods has lived in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Texas and Bermuda.  She lists some of her musical influences as Commissioned, Fred Hammond, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill and India Arie.  She strives to move her listeners through her writing.

            The first rack, the radio single “Happy,” actually reminded me of Tracy Chapman. Co-written with David Mullen (Nichole’s husband), the buoyant tune is a rejection of music industry “stardom.”   “Get to You” flat out rocks while I can best describe “Crazy” as Caribbean rap.  “The Only One,” a song she wrote for a wedding, is very soulful.  “I Don’t Mind” has an ultra-cool funky bass.  Woods says that song is about “how sovereign He is” and cites Romans 8:28 (my dad’s favorite verse) as an influence.

            “Beauty” features a crunchy acoustic guitar similar to that radio popular “Cherry Tree and Horse” tune.  Better yet, it has some great lyrics that examines the shallowness of worldly beauty when in the end, before God, we’re all beautiful.  There’s no doubt where this artist is coming from with her message.

            I can see a Dove nomination for “Best New Artist of the Year.”

            Highly recommended.

- Rob S.

www.myspace.com/ayieshawoods