Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

There seems to be a resurgence in fine female gospel singers down in London. Alongside excellent albums from Donna Gardier and Caroline, add this one to your shopping list! One word of warning! This Charmain shouldn’t be confused with Australian singer Charmaine who recently toured with Rebecca St James. I first discovered the British Charmain when she was part of the London musical collective The Pod who released a single back in 2001. We seemed to play it for months on Cross Rhythms because it was excellent and now Charmain has gone solo and delivered this fab R&B gospel album. Obviously to the fore is her amazing voice but Charmain’s songwriting shouldn’t be underestimated either since she wrote or co-wrote all but one song on the album. And this is brilliant stuff as Charmain writes from the heart and ministers from her own personal experiences. The songs themselves make an impact because they’re real. The gorgeous R&B vibe of the title cut is made more powerful when you understand that Charmain has been through some bad stuff but experienced the grace of God and been healed. Her desire to reach out to others means that there’s no doubting the message here so songs like the understated “Redemption Story”, the encouraging “Liberty” and the soulful “Lean On Me” really hit home. She excels whether she’s getting a little funky, throwing in a reggae vibe or wrapping her golden voice around some of the album’s fine ballads. When it comes to the slower songs, “He Won’t Let You Fall” which closes the album is a sweet song to play yourself when you’re going through it, and “You Died Because You First Loved Me” is a powerful reminder of God’s love. A fine singer and a fine album!

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