Leilani Clark - "I'm Amazed"

When first looking at the I'm Amazed CD cover your first thoughts might be, "Oh how nice, a 12 year old girl who recorded a CD, her Daddy must be rich and indulges her." Nothing could be further from the truth! What you will hear is unbelievable talent and maturity at such a young age. She's simply a young Christian lady with a very sweet heart.

From a reviewer's point of view, the first thing that one will notice is that the first track sounds very Nashville 80's CCM, which is indeed correct. Here I Am Lord was written in 1981, but good music is timeless and you can tell that Leilani and the Clark family took great pains in song selection. This opener is a great song for Lani's voice; she has a very strong alto (yet with a high range, too) voice. Additionally, the production on the opening track is top-notch (Daniel Clark, her Dad and Donald K. Johns.) The reverb effect was applied heavily to give her already-strong voice even more depth. That was smart for now, but as she grows older she will need much less effects as she has a naturally fantastic voice that few people her age possess. The saxophone (Matt Johns) and piano work (Dad) on this track are superlative.

I'm Amazed arguably may have the best lyrics on this project. This song was written by Daniel Clark, Val Halloran, and Donald K. Johns. It stands on its own with all the published material surrounding it on this CD. The production is laid back a bit on this piece, with gentle acoustic guitar which gives the listener a chance to listen to the pureness of Lani's voice and naturally enhances the amazing words (no pun intended). You can't help but reflect the wonders the Lord provides this world while listening with words like....I'm amazed to be part of Your plan....that says it all. This song will quickly become a favorite and you may even forget that Lani is 12 years old by this point, as her voice is so well-suited for this song.

Goin' In Style swings like the Lennon Sisters (late 50's and 60's) or the Andrew Sisters from the 40's. Guess some will need to look back in music history to remember who these sisters acts were, but Lani knows history already as she prefers the older music of those eras gone by compared to the Brittney Spears music of today. Good for her! This has a New Orleans' swing style and has Leilani splitting lead vocal duties with her younger brother Timothy (age 10), who also sings layered backup vocals with Dad. They give this track the full sound it needs. Effective arrangements and production will make or break an album, and the attentiveness really shines on I'm Amazed!

One of the gems of Lani's project is Mary, Did You Know? Lani delivers a powerful vocal on a song that was truly anointed by His hand (Mark Lowry and Buddy Green.) I guarantee it will give you goose bumps. The production again is on the money in a song where it truly had to be to become an effective song for Him! After listening to this song you will want to thank Dan Clark for sharing with us his daughter's immense talents. Again the musicianship is as good as it gets and Tony Buzzella's saxophone is simply incredible. This song, which has been recorded by Kathy Mattea, Billy Dean, and other notable professionals, probably can't get good radio airplay (which is a shame as it should) as new renditions of past hits by Independent musicians are just not played too often; but Lani does have a new single, Keeper of My Heart (separate from this album), that could easily get tons of airplay. Keeper of My Heart (written by Dad and Val again) reminds me of a Susan Ashton tune as it has a fresh, current feel to it. Lani gives the vocal a bit of a country flair and the chorus hook is as good as it gets, along with harmonies by Dad and Lani's younger brother Timothy, and instrumentation that gives that CD single a real chance for climbing the CCM charts with proper promotion.

Noah and Who Am I? give Lani's voice a chance to shine and again were well selected tracks that keeps one's attention, but not in an all-engrossing manner, which is a good thing as some of the songs to come get pretty intense! The Old Lady is sung by Daniel which has very compelling story telling kind of lyrics reminiscent of Harry Chapin. That inspiring track puts one in a somber mood, but the tear parade really begins with A Miracle to Me, written by Dad through Lani's eyes. This treasure of a song was written for Lani's mom. In a way this CD is a family album, a snapshot in time that can always be listened to in the future for precious memories, much like a photo album. How often does a daughter sing songs to her mom's digitally? It's a one-of-a-kind song and will make any mom (or dad) just sob with joy.

Nitey Nite is a picture perfect production from top to bottom. As Dan Clark quotes: "It was written in 1947 by Charles Piliero (now 82 years young) after returning from WWII. He remembered his children's somber faces as he shipped out for the last time and he vowed to write a song about it when he got back, which he did. Charles couldn't pitch the song to publishers so threw it into a shoebox where it literally sat until now." Over fifty years later, Lani masterfully sings this magnificent song fully
produced with a 40's flair. Surely this was meant to be, and the real irony of this story is a 12-year-old little girl sang it for Charles (a dream come true.) You can almost sense a black and white image of Lani standing in front of a large tube microphone as the musical imagery is that precise. The lyrics are so precious......"Nighty nite and say a prayer for all the Daddies still over there. Pray God will keep them for little girls need them, then Nitey Nite." Let's take this a step further, imagine if you would, a Navy man in the middle of his last long cruise during the current America vs. Terrorism situation (with four little children waiting at home) listening to this song, what do you think his reaction will be? He will cry, and I am talking from experience because I write this review while serving on a Naval carrier. And many others, military or not, will be very moved by this track that must be shared with the world.

By this point of the album you don't know if you want to continue on, as it is an emotional roller coaster to say the least! But thankfully the Holy Spirit bails you out, as That One Love and Worthy of Worship are both very inspirational and enveloping. The Lord's Prayer is a nice touch for I'm Amazed and the organ beginning gives it a really deep traditional feeling. The accompaniment fits a church special music feel and again you can't help but be impressed with Lani's vocals. Additionally, the slight guitar ditties in the background and the Korg-sounding keyboards really add spice to The Lord's Prayer.

The final track, Goin' In Style, will put a smile on your face! Louis Armstrong (a.k.a. Donald K. Johns) couldn't have sung it any better, yet it's tasteful and complimentary. The big band sound (complete with a clarinet, even!) is just so perfectly done. It's a fun way to end an album, and I might add, a memorable debut CD at that!

I have no doubts that Lani will inherit her Dad's songwriting ability, which is an important step for anyone desiring to make a difference in the music industry. Mark these words, in years to come this music will be become priceless; and you can bet that these CD's will not be found in old shoeboxes 50 years from now. This is just the beginning of the story, there is much more to come, but for right now let's just enjoy these precious family moments. Leilani, you're not the only one who is amazed, trust me!

Paul Gentry, CMCA Staff
October 12, 2001

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