Reviewed by Bob Longman

Sometimes, good music pops up where you least expect it. Case in point: Tim Miner. In his first album in '84 and his second in '88, he was just another white soulster-wanna-be. But Miner was hatching major plans plans, involving a recording studio that would serve as a spiritual centre for the development of Dallas-area Christian artists, and to spread the gospel. Two years later, there's a tidal wave of artists coming out of this Dallas scene, including Angie Alan, Cindy Cruse, Margaret Bell, 'Bubbles' Bruce, Bernard Wright, the Winans Sisters 'triangle', and the Street Church Academy folks like MC R.G., Ge-Gee, and the late Danny 'D-Boy' Rodriguez. And now a more mature 26-year-old Tim Miner has learned how to move his voice in a manner not unlike Michael Jackson or Stevie Wonder, or, most precisely, fellow Frontline soulster Jon Gibson. He evokes feelings and exposes his soul...matching vocal movements and tones to the needs of the lyric and the tune where Gibson tends to slip off into vocal gymnastics. Miner succeeds on many of his new songs, especially on 'Walked Across My Heart' (a wonderful upbeat song of confidence, with a D-Boy rap) and 'Yesterday' (a mellow song he wrote for his mother, sung a la Michael McDonald). Then, there is 'Don't Let It Slide', which calls on an unidentified Christian artist to listen to God and not the people around him. Or, 'I Can't Take It', wherein the Miner of ten years ago finds out he can no longer escape God nor God's call. On 'Tell Me' Miner falls back on the overused theme of telling Satan off, and further misses by electronically distorting an otherwise good vocal. In 'Supercal', Mark Stitts lays some real hot rock guitar licks into the mix of a good soul song. With this album, Tim Miner serves notice that he is not going to relax from making true popular pop/dance music for Christ. He, like Peacock and the Winans, are now ready with a full-blooded popular urban sound that can stand up to the rigors of radio overexposure without yielding to triteness - great news, if you like that sound as much as I do.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.