Reviewed by Karl Allison

Fred's first outing since resigning his Commission is an attempt to bring together his own established identity as king of the urban gospel groove with the excitement of a full-on gospel choir release. As such, it probably fails, too often using the choir only as a chant-styled uplift in the chorus and thereby failing to match the breadth of a Sounds Of Blackness album or the rich textures of Fred's earlier Commissioned work. The album is divided into three parts: "Proclamations", "Repentance" and "Revelations", although the liturgical intent is only fully apparent in the second part which reaches its climax with "Communion Song". But there's a distinct shortage of memorable tunes, with only "Glory To Glory To Glory" sticking after a few plays, and the cheering voice-over introductions to so many of the songs is just plain annoying. Few would doubt that Fred will continue to be a key player in the development of gospel music, but his recent output suggests that his role might be more that of producer and inspirer than as an artist in his own right. Maybe it's time for Fred to find some new friends.

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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