It is now summer, and my first year of college is over.

Work has taken over my summer schedule. I haven’t had a lot of time to check out anything new lately.

Anyway, one morning I woke up to get ready for work. I picked out my clothes for after work, I took a shower, and checked my e-mail, the whole morning routine.

This particular morning I found an e-mail from my editor titled "Review?"

The first thing that came to mind is that I missed my deadline because I had been so busy and forgot.

I clicked it, hoping that it wasn’t what I thought it was.

But instead of being a question of where my review was, it was a question about a local artist who wanted to have me review her new EP.

As I read, I got very excited. Who would have thought that someone who makes music as a profession would read my column? I sent a quick reply about sending me the album and headed off to work another day at Micky D’s.

I have noticed that time passes in a weird way when all you do is work two jobs. I’m not sure if it was one day later or two, but I came home late one night to a big envelope on my dining room table.

I took it upstairs and opened it. I realized that it was the album that I said I would review. I took out the CD and looked at it. On the cover was Dana LaCroix. I opened the cover and checked out the inside cover.

Along with the album was a short letter from Dana and a biography. I read the letter, which stated that she was interested in having me write a review on her EP, but that she was afraid that it wasn’t the kind of music that I was interested in, and that she was a fan of my column because she liked to keep up on what the younger generation is listening to.

Well, I took this as a challenge, my first review on something that wasn’t my style.

I put the CD in my bag to take to work the next day and set the letter next to my bed. I was too tired to worry about anything else.

The next day came and went. I was on my way home and I realized that I hadn’t listened to the CD that was in my bag. I took out "Faith In You" and slipped it in my stereo. Well LaCroix was right in her letter about not being my type of music, but she warned me, so I gave it a chance. At first listen, you get a folk/blues vibe with a mix of pop. Each song seems to tell a story with the lyrics, which can be hard to do sometimes. The music is very well written and arranged to match the lyrics and LaCroix’s voice.

"Faith In You" is a very mellow and heartfelt EP filled with stories of love, loss and hope. The music and lyrics are very simple, and that makes it a good listen. The musicians who worked on "Faith In You" are very talented. They all work together to make the best music possible. With only six tracks on the EP, the point that is made is that these musicians love what they are doing and they love making music to the best of their ability.

My favorite track on "Faith In You" would have to be "My Little Everything." I like the way the music is arranged and I feel that it stands out from the rest.

It is a song that anyone can relate to if you listen to the words. It is about trying to find your little everything; you think you have it and it isn’t what you thought it was, so you have to keep trying to find it. It is a song of determination _ LaCroix isn’t giving up until she finds it or it finds her.

I was trying to figure out an artist that I could compare Dana LaCroix too, to relate to a younger audience, but it is pretty hard. LaCroix has a sound of her own, and nothing in my generation seems to compare. The closest female artist I could think of was KT Tunstall, but LaCroix is more folk than Tunstall is.

It was the best comparison I could come up with. Tunstall is also in her own category of music also, and it is a category that I’m not a fan of. I guess that is what make artists like her and LaCroix stand out from the rest.

"Faith In You" is an EP that probably would appeal to an older generation, not so much my generation. LaCroix is a very talented musician and songwriter.

"Faith In You" is a good EP, the lyrics are great and the music is beautifully arranged. If you would like to take a chance on something you probably wouldn’t normally listen to, like I did, you can check out "Faith In You" and read more about Dana LaCroix at

www.DanaLaCroix.com.

Sandi Fairbanks is a 2006 graduate of Unadilla Valley Central School. She recently finished her freshman year at the State University College at Plattsburgh.