Reviewed by Peter Dilley

It always seemed to me that the Wades were an unlikely signing for Kingsway Music, and no less puzzling was why such a hard working act produced so little recorded material. Perhaps the boys' Famecity label and 'A Family Thing' mark a new chapter for the popular soulsters, with over an hour of tunes, grooves and classy vocal harmonies. There's certainly renewed confidence here - 'Come With Me, Come Alive' they sing on musical/spiritual manifesto 'Soul Thing', and likewise 'Family Thing' celebrates the brothers' togetherness in both familial and spiritual senses. 'Shooting For The Moon' is a romantic ballad, but worship/devotional material features more strongly, with Jesus' love as the keynote - reflection and response in 'Friend', an evangelistic clarion call ('Love In A Million Ways'), intimacy with God ('I Worship You'), and simply finding life worth living ("Because Of You"). A series of 3s, "zones" in Dome-like terminology, punctuate the main track out Derek and Lloyd's dialogue in "Condition Of The Heart (Beats Zone)", food for thought without getting preachy. Though a la mode in contemporary R&B, a heavy reliance on programming is arguably a minor weakness - using more "real" instruments might have gained them a truly soulful 10/10 rating.

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