Cleveland released her first album, Big Town, in 1991 on Atlantic records, her guttural, raspy voice cutting through the Pop princesses and clattering rise of Grunge to present an alternative.  An alternative that at the same time pushed forward while giving music fans a piece of the past. In 1991, her album was a rarity of another form.  Her personal spirituality shone through on cuts beginning with the acapella rendering of Andrae Crouchs� �Soon and Very Soon,� a reminder to Believers that this world is not our home and it won�t be long before we meet the Father on the path out of this often times overwhelming cesspool, which leads into the self-penned �Big Town� with it�s message of hope in things to come.  A Major label home for an artist with an outspoken Christian belief was out of the ordinary and even though the album was a critical success, it wasn�t the crossover success Atlantic hoped it would be. Moving to the Christian label Word in 1993, Cleveland released Bus Named Desire and in 1995 Lesson of Love.  But the same formula that was cutting edge on a Major label (mixing �secular� songs with �Sacred�), proved to be a little too much for the more narrow-minded in the Christian music community. (Cleveland received some criticism for a song called �Skin Tight� which was thought to be too sensual, although it is about the physical attraction between a married couple and a little criticism goes a long way in the CCM world). After independently releasing a live album and an album of hymns, Cleveland�s current release finds her coming full circle.  Before The Daylight�s Shot is filled with songs of faith and songs of life. Starting off with �Queen of Soul,� a tribute to Aretha Franklin, Cleveland shows that her voice is in fine form, wailing through the homage to her hero with ease. Another tribute of sorts is Stevie Wonders� �Higher Ground,� one of two covers on the album.  As much as I hate to admit it, the song is a bit of a misstep as Cleveland and band try to slow the funky number into a slower, bluesy number, but it sounds as if Cleveland�s voice is pulling against the weight of the band, ready to take off but not being permitted to do so. Quick to recover, �Streams of Mercy� is a song of forgiveness and, as the title states, mercy and follows thematically into the �The Blessing.�  Where the songs share in theme, the music of �The Blessing� is a rocker allowing producer/guitarist/husband Kenny Greenberg to shine laying a bed of blues-rock guitars where Clevelands� voice lays comfortably. The groove of �Ready or Not� provides a showcase for Clevelands� unmistakable voice, a voice which has graced the albums of artists such as John Hiatt, Pam Tillis, Emmylou Harris, Etta James and Rodney Crowell. �I Need Jesus� is a well-crafted admission of faith and a prayer for Jesus to take the lead in her life.  Cleveland has a way of writing songs that speak to the spiritual side of things without coming off as preachy or cheesy.  Her songs weave the threads of faith through the fabric of life with a balance that shows the lessons that her experiences in life have imparted. As I said, it is a rare thing for an artist to come on the scene with a full formation of talent, but Ashley Cleveland pulls it off.  Before the Daylight�s Shot is musically and thematically a rare feat of someone growing in their artistry while not losing focus of the types of songs and sounds that brought them to that point years removed from their debut.