I was prepared to dismiss Phillip LaRue as just another cardboard-cutout pop pretty boy, but "Chasing The Daylight," the first single on Let The Road Pave Itself, immediately caught my ear. His voice, heard years ago in tandem with sister Natalie as "LaRue," reminds me of Phil Wickham, and the musical genre is similar as well. Although still relatively young, Phillip is an industry veteran after touring as a teen and then getting involved in production, having worked with artists like Krystal Meyers, Tenth Avenue North and Over The Rhine, as well as writing for Brandon Heath.

Now LaRue returns to the microphone for Let The Road Pave Itself. The album was recorded "live" in the studio with a minimum of the production that often overwhelms recordings nowadays. Standout tracks include "Sleeping Beauty" and the vulnerable lament, "Erase and Rewind." Songs of love, faith and struggles create an authentic-sounding project that will appeal to fans of Phil Wickham. Let The Road Pave Itself releases April 7.