Cadia

by Jenny Bennett

Uncommon lyrics, a piano-driven sound, and strong harmonies are the hallmarks of new female duo Cadia’s debut on Fervent Records releasing February 26.

Judging by the heavy lean towards pop and adult contemporary that many Christian radio stations seem to maintain these days, virtually all the songs on the album should do well.

Cadia (19-year-olds Tori Smith and Courtney Myers) obviously have some strong momentum behind them. The self-titled album was produced by Otto Price (BarlowGirl, Sonicflood, dcTalk) and Rob Hawkins (pureNRG, Jackson Waters), and the group will open for Avalon on their spring tour. Written by Nichole Nordeman, Inside Out and its music video have served as the theme for this year’s Women of Faith Revolve Tour targeted towards young women. The girls’ debut single, Trust in Me Now, was released to radio January 4.

The truly original track on the project, Shadowfeet, with the strongest harmonies on the record sounds worthy of single status; maybe the more upbeat tempo of Trust… made it better suited to hit the airwaves first.

Even though pop/contemporary is not my favorite style, I find Cadia’s brand of it pleasing and their lyrics easy to relate to without being simplistic. Pretty piano melodies on songs like Safe Place to Fall and Radiate bring a soothing quality that works well with the meaning of the group’s name. (Derived from the Greek word arcadia, cadia means a place of peace.) Even more up-tempo tracks like Curious maintain the continuity of Cadia’s message:

What if I told you hearts don’t have to be empty spaces?
What if I told you you are not alone anymore?
There’s someone standing in your corner. There is a hand reaching through the rain…

I know you think this is all there is, but what if there’s more?
Aren’t you just curious?

You may feel this is too good to be true
But these are more than words I’m saying to you.

It’s not just your run-of-the mill positive message, and these days, with so many mixed messages out there, it’s refreshing to see something in the Christian realm that grabs you. It’s interesting that they were somehow able to target the lyrics to a young audience without sacrificing universality.

“You’re not always going to feel beautiful, and we totally understand that," says Tori on their web site's bio. "We don’t always feel pretty. We don’t have it all together. We are not perfect; not even close to it. But because of that, I think girls can relate to us. It gives us the opportunity to meet them where they are.”

Overall Cadia makes a strong first impression, yet several songs on the album – I’ll Stay, Jesus, and Speak – just didn’t stick with me in a meaningful way.

The weakest track on the album is probably their cover of Martina McBride’s This One’s For the Girls. As fresh faces with a young female audience whose mothers will no doubt enjoy the music as well, I can see why they chose to do it. However some songs just don’t really qualify for cover status in the first place, but if you must, please do something original with it. In my mind it was a smart choice to place it right before the stand-out track Shadowfeet.

With their thirst-quenching lyrics and their fresh sound that's about as unique as pop seems to get these days, not to mention the exposure they’ve already enjoyed on the airwaves and live at Revolve, Cadia’s Feb. 26 release will make them a welcome addition to the scene.

cadiaonline.com
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