Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Following the release of three singles to pave the way for a fuller piece of work, Los Angeles-based gospel singer D'Morea Johnson has released a lavish self-produced debut album that aims to praise God at every point. Despite starting with a somewhat overblown spoken word prelude from Johnson, proceedings get off to a promising start with the high energy "We Need Love" showcasing what the lead man and his accomplished backing band can do. Featuring the extravagant sound that features in much of today's gospel music, a number of styles are referenced ranging from '70s funk in the infectious "Joy To Have Your Love" and "He's Real" to a soft soul rendition of Ashford & Simpson's "It's In There" - all of which keeps things varied. Choosing to cover other artists' songs allows Johnson to put his own stamp on already familiar numbers and the likes of Darlene Zschech's "You Are Holy" and Yolanda Adams' "My Everything" come off well but, after a while, the near constant forays into falsetto - and some bizarre post-production vocal effects - tend to become a bit much making this release less listenable than it deserves to be.

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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