Reviewed by David Faulkner

Imagine Bobby Brown getting all his problems sorted out by Jesus Christ and then, a few years later, releasing a CD reflecting his testimony. Imagine it having a Blackstreet-style production, where everything necessary is present and correct, but the music has room to breathe. It might sound something like this. Fade (a male solo artist, not a band) released this CD in the States in 1997. The one clue to his identity comes in the longer-than –the-lyrics credits, where one “Auntie Yolanda” is thanked “for seeing God’s call on [his] life”. Fade and his co-lyricist Francis Paul Ubana will be popular among their colleagues in the Keyboard Players’ Union, since their keys replace a host of other instruments, such as sax, bass and vibes. And mentioning lyrics… whether sung or occasionally rapped they are touching in their expression of gratitude to the Father. Yet they might attract investigation by both the Campaign Against Lame Lyrics for certain failures in the scanning department and the Campaign Against Shallow Theology on suspicion of simplistic statements. But, hey, this is a debut and I’m feeling generous. I wish Fade well in his ministry.

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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