AMG Review of What a Heart Is Beating For

Jared Johnson
All Music Guide

Chris Rice, admired by would-be songwriters for over a decade, continued to stretch his legs musically on 2007's What a Heart Is Beating For while referring to his Christianity in smaller, more understated doses. It's impossible not to draw comparisons to James Taylor on tracks like "Lemonade" and "Kids Again," but then Rice takes a turn toward John Mayer or David Gray with unabashed confidence. Lyrical messages seem to follow the advice he offers politicians -- "You Don't Have to Yell." The Christian heart of Rice's songwriting is a little further from the surface than on his pre-Amusing work, though it undoubtedly continues to influence his craft.