Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Ah! This is, as expected by the cover, a black gospel choir-up tempo, plenty of soprano voices with enough treble to bore a hole in steel, pumping little band, and enough effervescence to stir even my soul, then calm things down with R Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” and one or two other ballads. Okay, but I’d better play it again in case I’ve missed something. Hang on, this band’s up to something, like on the title track “Higher”, the song revolves around two chords but I find myself pulled into the song by the interesting accents and scales, I am intrigued, and I suppose with a song called “Higher” you are obliged to take it up a key or two at the end. But this song starts going up a semitone after verse one and the choir perform a rather amazing feat by following the band’s difficult timing, and singing intervals that are certainly not easy to sing. The song makes eight key changes before it finishes with another little burst of skill from the seven piece band. Other songs follow this trait, this is not a standard choir and band. They have the ability to make a simple chord sequence sound engaging. Not all the vocals are smack on, but give them a break, it is live. I would have liked a bit more bottom end but maybe I’ve been listening to the Bob Marley re-mixes too much, and I wonder if they know that there’s already an international ministry called Youth For Christ?

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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