STYLE: Rock RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 173479-27994 LABEL: New Haven 027072812928 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2018-11-09 RRP: £12.99
Reviewed by Lins Honeyman
Joshua's Troop is a choir made up of teenagers and young adults from Chicago under the direction of experienced gospel artist Percy Gray Jr and the sizeable collective's latest album builds on a Youth Project Of The Year Stellar Award win back in 2017. Whilst most definitely a gospel release, proceedings kick off with a rap intro on the upbeat "Alright, Alright" which paves the way for a musically diverse album that seeks to lift high the name of Jesus at every turn. For instance, things get downright funky in the likes of "P.O.D. (Praise On Demand)" and the victorious "I Win" whilst two versions of the title track show a more considered side without sacrificing any of the choir's vocal power. Occasionally things get a little schmaltzy - the melodramatic spoken word intro on "Lord Save The Day" being a case in point - but there is enough integrity found elsewhere to make this an impressive showcase of what Gray and his young crew can do. A number of different lead vocalists including Vincent Porter Jr, Rachel Carter, Brittney Gray and Percy himself keeps things nice and varied whilst everything is underpinned by the skilful production of Curtis Lindsey and a tight group of session musicians.
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