Reviewed by Tony Cummings

As far as I'm concerned Coko's is one of the great voices of modern R&B. Whether you connected with her when she fronted those sassy SWV sistas or enjoyed that great vocal hook on Will Smith's "Men In Black", one thing is certain: the lady sure can sing. Now that she's returned to gospel I approached this new set with considerable expectation and indeed there is some good stuff here. The opener "We Thank You" is hot while her duet with American Idol's George Huff has its moments too. But there is also a song where she is joined by her mum and five year old son which is a bit of an indulgence. Also the track "This Christmas" is, I believe, an old SWV recording. But worst of all, all that sinuous soul power and sublime phrasing is wasted on a composition like "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)". Why do Christians record such sentimental tripe when they have the sublime wonder of the incarnation to sing about? Overall, this is a bit of a curate's egg of an album so I'll give it six for the occasional excellent cuts.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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