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"Grace/ It's the name for a girl/ It's also a thought that/ Changed the world," sings Bono on U2's album All That You Can't Leave Behind. As usual, the man is correct. Grace has- and still does- change the world, in both obvious and subtle ways. This may not be something you've thought about much, but the topic of grace is nothing new to Jennifer Knapp.

On both her critically acclaimed debut album Kansas and 2000's Grammy nominated Lay it Down, Knapp wrestled with the topic of grace. Now, on her third album, The Way I Am, Knapp brings her fixation on grace to a dramatic, climactic point. Yes, though it may be hard to believe, Jennifer Knapp's songwriting on The Way I Am is more emotional, poetic and dark than ever before. The lyrics on The Way I Am are better than previous Knapp songs in every way. She has always been known for her honest songs, but even the honesty level goes up several notches on her new record. Transparent songs like "Breathe on Me," "In Two," and the title track should ring true with all of her listeners.

Musically, The Way I Am boasts the boldest, fullest production on a Knapp record to date, thanks to producer Tony McAnany (Madonna, Missy Elliot) and an all-star ensemble of musicians, including Jeremy Lubbock (Michael Jackson and Madonna) and the London Symphony Orchestra providing some intricate string arrangements, Tony Levin (Paul Simon, Kevin Max and Peter Gabriel) on bass and Vinnie Cauliuta, who has recorded with Sting, on drums. For the most part, the folk/pop sound of previous Knapp projects is gone. On The Way I Am, Jennifer and her band rock hard on some songs, such as the soaring "By and By," and at other times sounds more like 80's/early 90's pop, such as on the gentle "Say Won't You Say."

A few of Jennifer Knapp's older fans may not appreciate her slight shift in sound very much, and none of the songs on The Way I Am seem likely to end up being huge hits, like "Undo Me" or "A Little More." Still, The Way I Am should appeal to fans of intelligent, passionate rock, and Knapp's distinct vocals are, if anything, stronger on the new album, helping to make The Way I Am a personal favorite CD, already, one of the best albums of the year 2001, and certainly Knapp's best record to date.

Josh Hurst 10/14/2001

Jennifer Knapp has carved a niche in CCM as the "Christian version" of singers such as Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morrissette, or Delores Riordan (Cranberries).  The Way I Am is no exception to this description.  Knapp covers the same ground she had trod before, staying vocally within the range of the aforementioned artists. 

The hit singles here will probably be "Come to Me" and "By and By," but the keeper in my opinion is the title track, which details the frustration that we can feel with ourselves:

  It's better off this way 
  To be deaf and dumb and lame
  Than to be the way I am.

The Way I Am is sure to be a commercial success, and receive wide airplay.  But for me, nothing here reaches out and grabs me and make me think: "I have to hear this again!"  Knapp stays with what has become comfortable, and seems unwilling to stretch here.

Brian A. Smith  10/22/2001

It's almost a musical archetype: the gritty-voiced female singer-songwriter making her living with a guitar and confessional lyrics. Slowly but surely, folk alterna-rocker Jennifer Knapp has been carving out her place in this line of musical descent, and, in The Way I Am, she advertises the primary reasons why she deserves that honor.

Knapp isn't abandoning her signature sound and style. The classic Knapp stylings of lead single "Breathe On Me" should put to rest any worries that she's changed her sound. Knapp seems more interested in exploring the depth of her sound rather than radically enlarging the breadth. To that end, this album doesn't break any huge new musical ground. Knapp simply takes what she already does well and does it even better. She shines in the nuanced tone colors of the deceptively mellow-sounding "In Two (The Lament)," the folk-flavored strummings of "Sing Mary Sing," and the atmospheric "Around Me," which features her singing around sparse, mood-setting instrumentation.

Producing a singer-songwriter album is a precarious endeavor. Too many discover all the bells and whistles they can exploit and wind up producing the vulnerability right out of their art. Not so with Knapp. She uses her bells and whistles judiciously, and to great effect. Good examples are the gorgeous string arrangements, especially on "No Regrets," and the narration of "Light of the World."

Knapp may be best known for her lyrics: poetic nuggets that delve into man's most troubled conflicts, encased in the realization of some of the most simple truths. This album doesn't shirk from the lyrical quality established in her first two albums. In fact, "Charity," "The Way I Am," and the beautiful ballad "Say Won't You Say" raise the bar even higher. In the latter, Knapp's intensity makes even the elementary lyrics seem like a vision, a la "Usher Me Down," off of Lay It Down or "Martyrs and Theives," from Kansas.

I open up my eyes
To see you standing there
Oh I can barely breathe
I can hardly bear
All the love I feel for you inside
I hope you feel it now somehow

Should I be rich, poor and scattered in my dreams...
Shoul I be lost in forgetfulness with no regrets...
Free from the worry
Free from the dark that lives in me
Free to embark on the passion you favorably fashioned in me

Megan Lenz 10/27/2001

Typically, an artist’s third album is a critical moment.  Often the artist is either attempting to make up for a sophomore offering that tried too hard to be something different that their debut and, consequently, left fans bewildered, or the artist feels that they need to break some new ground after two “safe” records.  Luckily, Jennifer Knapp’s third album for Gotee Records, The Way I Am, breaks incredible musical ground and should still leave listeners more than happy.

“By and By” jumpstarts the record with the typical acoustic, folk guitar of Knapp before exploding into a storm of orchestration and guitars with Knapp’s voice riding atop the gale.  There’s no room for a sleepy-eyed listener as Knapp’s vocals reach a level of passion combined with control that goes unmatched on either of her first two recordings.  Immense orchestrations and grinding guitars create a tempestuous atmosphere that Knapp’s voice soars over nicely, singing, “All my dreams may be tattered, my will, my heart battered.  I know you will hear my cry…I’ll be waiting on the sun to rise so I can start again, bye and bye.”

“Breathe on Me” follows close behind with another dose of gut-wrenching vocals by Knapp, mixed with lush string arrangements and all-out rock ‘n’ roll.  Another musical storm of sorts, the song doesn’t lull until the final seconds when everything vanishes save for Knapp and her acoustic guitar.

“The Way I Am” sounds more like Knapp’s previous work, yet still is a noticeable shift from the folk-rock of Kansas or Lay It Down.  Completing the opening trilogy of highly orchestrated songs, “The Way I Am” follows the trend on the previous two songs by offering more brimming orchestrations married to pure rock; a formidable musical concoction that left this listener quite pleased.

Other highlights on the album include the methodical “Around Me,” where Knapp’s vocals are reminiscent of a young Margaret Becker, “In Two (the Lament),” quite possibly Knapp’s most personal song to date, and “No Regret,” which boasts one of the most beautiful orchestral arrangements I’ve heard in quite some time.  There isn’t the sure-fire hit on this record like on Knapp’s previous recordings, but there also isn’t a bad moment on the entire record.   Each song has its own unique touch of invention and creativity that makes for pure ear candy, and may, if you will, surpass radio-friendly boundaries.

The Way I Am is definitely Knapp’s best musical offering to date and may be hard for her to top on later recordings.  The music is tight, creative and never boring, the lyrics are thoughtful and appropriate for the mood of the music and Knapp’s vocals fuse the two elements together into one passionate musical endeavor that will prove difficult to match, by Knapp or any other artist.  If this is “the way Knapp is” the Christian music community needs to hear more. 

Matthew Williams 11/4/2001