Christen Sawyer CHRISTEN SAWYER – THE SAMPLER ©2008 Rapid Rise Records Review by Jinelle Boyd If you’re like me, you’ve noticed a recent climb in the amount of impressive young Texan women on the music scene. But very few have caught our attention like Christen Sawyer. A true diamond in the rough, Christen truly makes excellent use of her incredible vocal range. But what sets her apart from so many other wonderful Texas singers, is that she is also a very good songWRITER. A double-threat in every sense of the word! Her debut release, a 3-song EP named, aptly enough, THE SAMPLER, is notably different than many other first projects released today. Not only is the packaging impressive, but the music contained therein is a force to be reckoned with. Too often, new artists feel compelled to put out a project quickly – too quickly – which results in a sloppy, cheap-looking end product. But not Christen. She has obviously surrounded herself with some of the best in the business, and this project just screams “professional”. The first cut on the EP is “Crazy”, an original song written by Christen that is so catchy you’ll find yourself humming it over and over, long after the song has ended! That’s a good sign. Commercially, Christen should have no problem hitting the charts and staying there. But if she’s smart, like I know she is, she will really concentrate on writing more songs, and performing as much as possible. This reviewer does not know if Christen also plays an instrument live, but if she DOES, we’re looking at a clean trifecta, folks. Christen Sawyer is the real deal…which prompts me to issue this warning: “Watch your back, Carrie Underwood – there’s a new queen in town!” Look for her brand new full-length CD coming soon. But in the meantime, get the EP to hold you over…trust me – it will be the best five bucks you ever spend! You GO, girl!! Stats: 3 tracks; Country; replicated; jewel case; full color disc; Produced by Mark Oliverius, OMG Nashville; Running time: approx 11 minutes.