There are days when God’s love feels far from us, like some distant star. It burns bright and beautiful, but we are too far away to be warmed; and we might start wondering whether God is really as close as we’ve been told He is. Cait Plage has made it her mission to fight that feeling. On her first full-length, self-titled album, Cait paints picture after picture of a God whose love is consistently stronger than anything that could get in the way. The stories contained in these songs – over half of which were written by her – are deeply personal portraits of how, time and time again, God is closer than we could imagine. When she was fourteen years old, Cait fell in love with the music of Michelle Branch and Tiffany Arbuckle Lee and began teaching herself to play guitar. It was also around this time that Cait committed herself to following Jesus, and her newfound faith became fresh fuel for her creative fire. She felt like she’d been shown new purpose and direction, and what had previously been only an outlet for creativity was now also an expression of love for her King. She eventually enrolled at Liberty University, playing for a time with Exodus, one of the school’s traveling worship bands, and meeting producer Keith Everette Smith (Jadon Lavik, Meredith Andrews, Point of Grace). This release, the culmination of her musical and spiritual journey thus far, tells a story of talented, worship-driven creativity. Her songs are infectious and uplifting, running the gamut from pop-rock melodies to introspective string arrangements, and her sound is reminiscent of singer/songwriters like Joy Williams or Bethany Dillon. Her surprisingly mature voice drives home messages ranging from the unchanging nature of God’s love to the necessity of giving Him everything. The album opens with the upbeat “Vertical,” about finding the perfect love of God, and one of the highlights is “You Never Change,” a song about the steadfastness of God in the midst of life’s changing seasons. On “Ruin Me,” a song about the necessity of brokenness, she sings, “You leave me breathless, I can’t speak / I’m overwhelmed in my defeat / This time I won’t fight you / This time I’ll let you ruin me in your glory.” This new, self-titled album from Cait Plage is the perfect soundtrack for any day, whether you’re searching for God’s closeness or celebrating it. Her voice is beautiful, her words are heartfelt, and her songs are quickly becoming favorites for their upbeat melodies and the message that God never changes – his love is always burning bright, and He is always close, no matter what.