Introducing Ayiesha Woods by Ayiesha Woods

Reviewed by Tracy Darlington

"Fresh, eclectic sound from new Gotee artist."

Growing up in Bermuda, Ayiesha Woods never dreamed of being discovered by TobyMac. After hearing her song “Crazy” on the radio while he was vacationing in Jamaica, Toby quickly found her contact information and called her. 27 year old Ayiesha says, “I wasn’t home when he first called. I was in disbelief; I couldn’t believe it was him!” Although caught off guard by the prospect of working with Toby, she knew this was the exact direction God was calling her--to bring her own brand of diversity, quality and purpose into music.

This project has way more heft and depth than your average debut album. The cuts are anything but repetitive, and you can feel the unique urban sound in her music. From cut to cut Ayiesha transcends a broad spectrum of musical styles, making it tough to find a central theme, unless the theme is skillful versatility. For example, she reminds me a little of Nicole C. Mullen in “Crazy”, an upbeat Caribbean hip hop number. “I Don’t Mind”, which was written as an encouragement to her mom to let her know God cares for her, has an Aretha Franklin flavor to it. Beyonce might even come to mind in a few songs.

Ayiesha wrote “The Only One” for a wedding where she was the surprise guest. The bride loved her music, and her performance of this song was a gift from the groom. She was more than happy to be asked, and she can’t wait for the newlyweds to hear it on this album. Tobymac’s signature vocals back up “Big Enough”, a song that reminds us how great God is. But it’s Ayiesha’s first radio single “Happy” which is hitting the airwaves and taking off across the country. This song has a catchy pop/country sound, with a little of the vocal chops of Melissa Etheridge.

I can already see Ayiesha becoming a stand out name in Christian music. Listeners will not be disappointed with this album and will surely flock to buy her next. It’s a winning total package that I keep playing over and over again. Positive, top notch quality. Now get in the car, crank up the volume, and get ready to groove.

Tracy Darlington is a freelance writer, and her work has appeared in Brio, Breakaway, YS, CCM Magazine, Insight, Susie Magazine, and other publications. She has interviewed countless Christian musicians including Rebecca St. James, Delirious, Newsboys, Leigh Nash, Barlowgirl, Krystal Meyers, Joy Williams, Pillar, Michelle Tumes, and many others. In her spare time she can be found riding horses or listening to music and sipping a Venti 3-shot sugar-free vanilla latte. Visit her online at her blog where she talks about Music, God, dogs and coffee. You can also look her up at Twitter and Facebook.