Reviewed by Stephen Adams

One time Commissioned man weighs in with his fifth album, filled to the brim with contemporary gospel sounds and uplifting emotion. Where artists like Marvin Sapp are at their strongest is when they are accompanied by live bands that can play every note and hit every measure with the same passion felt in the vocal. And this is definitely where Marvin excels. Songs like "Trust", "Perfect Peace" and "Be Exalted" are prime examples of the music capturing the emotion of the lyrics perfectly, as the vocalists echo their praise to God. For the most part, the production is very strong, with even the gentler songs benefiting from a seemingly sensitive ear at the helm. Recognised names such as Tommy Walker, Israel Houghton and Percy Bady all lend a hand at surrounding Marvin and co with powerful arrangements. The biggest surprise for me were the two tracks produced by acclaimed secular producer/session musician James Poyser (who has worked with such notable names in the hip-hop/R&B industry as Common, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo). Poyser's two contributions are quite evidently some of the highlights of the album, making Marvin sound right at home with production more reminiscent of Mary Mary or Kirk Franklin. However, Marvin could take a leaf out of Mr Franklin's book in terms of making urban contemporary gospel relevant to the next generation. Songs such as "Do You Know Him" (although Tommy Walker's remix redeems this) and "Changed" attempt to be urban, but end up missing the mark by at least a decade. However, when the good songs are as strong as on this album - I would dare any gospel music lover not to praise God with passion when they hear "Strong Tower" - the few missteps can be overlooked.

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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