Mallary Hope ‘Out of My Hands’ Review

Mallary Hope
Out of My Hands
(Curb)

Mallary Hope self-identifies as a country artist, but she’s not old school Dolly Parton country, one of her admitted influences. This pastor’s daughter, who grew up singing in church and previously released mainstream country albums, gives us a straight-up pop-Christian release with Out Of My Hands.

Hope’s sound is more akin to Shania Twain’s country-pop. Her songs feature, big, bright studio arrangements. Some, like “Lay It Down,” are gentle, but others–like “Walking With The Light”–veer more closely to Katy Perry-pop.

The best song is “3:16 (No Greater Love),” where everything, from her car clock to the price of her morning coffee, is a reminder of that well-known Bible verse. The piano-backed ballad “Looking Back At Me” is also noteworthy because Hope reflects upon her own younger days to encourage a contemporary young girl that life–eventually–gets better.

—Dan MacIntosh