Toby Mac - Renovating Diverse City

Reviewed by Steve Hayes

This lively re-invention of his last album starts with "The Slam", an energetic tune pointing to Jesus, with a driving bassline and heavy guitars on the hook. T-Bone guests with some fast rhymes. A catchy song is "Getaway Car", where old skool breaks explode into a chorus with Ricky Martin overtones - honest! We journey through melodic chorus, ragga, rap and breakbeat in "Catchafire". The album features work that reminds me of some of the early dc Talk - such as "Burn For You". This is a vibrant rock song with Toby Mac singing, "I want the world to know I burn for you.." This is a desire for the Holy Spirit to help him feel alive again. 'Renovating Diverse City' has plenty of pop rap elements, none more so than "Hey Now", a potentially successful commercial track reminding me of The Tribe. This has a blend of elements, letting us know there is "one love and one God." Another song with a pop rock edge is "Gone", which takes a look at difficulties in relationships. "Diverse City" brings a driving 4/4 beat with a vibe that is reminiscent of the Black Eyed Peas/Outkast. We find an almost 4th Avenue Jones style hip-hop rock tune in "Ill-M-I", a nice cut. The album proper ends with a definite Latino edge in "Atmosphere" - God is always waiting for us to turn back to him. There's also a bonus remix of "Burn For You" included on this fresh and diverse set of remixes.