Tracy Darlington

Wake Up by Paige Armstrong

  Reviewed by Tracy Darlington

 

"This project has a clear positive lyrical thread throughout... a rousing wake up call from someone I can’t wait to hear more from in the future. "

“Everything turned upside down. It was a total shock.” Paige Armstrong remembers getting the diagnoses of bone cancer when she was ten. Now a cancer survivor, her debut CD Wake Up (co-produced by Chris Omartian) reminds us not to waste our lives and to make every day count for God’s glory. Armstrong has both an amazing story and a strong message of hope to tell. When I heard this 19 year old for the first time I wondered why we hadn’t heard about Paige sooner. Her voice has the timber of Hayley Williams (Paramore) with a little Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf) influence sprinkled in for good measure.

“The Story Song” is a rocking biographical track about how you can live your life to the fullest no matter what you are going through at the moment. If “munge” were a word you could use it to describe the metal-grunge vibe. Another stand-out is title track “Wake Up” co-written with Tiffany Lee (Plumb). This one has some definite Plumb characteristics to it, but Paige’s own personal flair blends with it smoothly. The guitars may come across as slightly heavy handed on some of the numbers, so those of you looking for a lighter, contemporary sound will have to look elsewhere. Wake Up is a rock album with a few heartfelt ballads, geared mostly to teenagers. This project has a clear positive lyrical thread throughout. Paige says it best - “This album is supposed to rev people; every song is bold, in your face, in a good way.” It's a rousing wake up call from someone I can’t wait to hear more from in the future.