AMG Review of Love Like This

Jared Johnson
All Music Guide

Consider this successfully avoiding the sophomore slump. Love Like This is a triumph of songwriting and delivery, a passionate dedication of soul and mind. Once again, Woods shows that she has that rare knack as an artist for creating an album that reaches outside pre-defined notions. Her debut Introducing Ayiesha Woods earned her a Grammy nod and Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year. Love Like This carries that momentum into new arenas, painting her outside the lines of big-voiced singers like Leona Lewis and Mandisa and instead developing her own sound. Woods avoids clichés and genre boundaries, defining herself as an alt-urban, adult contemporary pop singer with that rare connection to each song. Songs like "New Beginnings," "Alive," and "Transparent" show why this album delights fans with its buoyant, celebratory, and encouraging energy.