This album was written in the wake of Blanca’s painful divorce from Ben Callahan of Group 1 Crew after two years of separation. Here, the songstress vulnerably cracks her heart wide open on the 14-track collection that showcases the merger of her powerful voice and her transparent lyricism. Fittingly, this new release begins with an RnB number called ‘Start Over.’ The message of the song is that it’s never too late to start over again, no matter what you’re going through. Sharing the vocals with Jekelyn Carr. Blanca continues the theme with ‘New Day.’ Both opening tracks have that mellow, almost stuttering, beat that mainstream artists like Rhianna have used from time to time. There’s a little more melody to ‘Even At My Worst, when the singer praises God for His unconditional love. Of the three, this was my favourite of the initial songs. The ballad, that is, ‘In the Middle’ came over as rather melancholy. But, given the main subject of her writing, I guess that Blanca has every right to feel the reflected in the song. Both ‘Uncovered’ and ‘Mi Amor’ have that Rhianna feel about them, while ‘Never Too Far’ sounds much better. Here, Blanca is joined by Ty Brasel, and the vocals work really well together. ‘Let the Light In’ is a reminder that even in the darkest times of your life, the light of the world is always with you. As the album title suggests, Blanca’s journey in song, moves from “heartbreak to healing.” Consequently, the second half of the track listing is rather uplifting, compared to the first. The effervescent ‘Bring You Home’ is quite glorious. God’s reminder that “No raging sea, no mountain high, could keep you from these arms of mine; ‘Cause my love Is deep enough to calm the waters in a storm; When your waves are crashing down; you know I’ll bring you home.” Finally, Dante Brown shares vocals on ‘The Healing.’ Being so open about her struggles through the divorce and aftermath, leads this album to be a little dark at times. But, it’s also testament to her honesty, and to what she calls “The Healing” through the love of God. 7/10.
Never for Nothing 