Reviewed by Andy Cooper Many R&B fans from the last 15 years may be familiar with Montell's work, but this is his first worship album with the Atlanta-based Victory World Church crew. It's an intriguing collection of 12 mostly original songs, some worshipful, some more performance orientated though still based on faith. Montell's R&B heritage is clear from the start, and the first four or five songs showcase his gleaming production skills. Male and female vocals, singing and rapping, heavily processed and natural voices mingle as easily as the Black Eyed Peas. Jordan's vocal style, similar to that of John Legend, carries the lyrics clearly and deftly. After a while though, the musical style slowly transforms into something less original: like Hillsong-esque rock-band worship. Pity. Many of the songs are anthemic and catchy, though not all are fully worship focussed. That's ok, until you start to watch the accompanying DVD, which clearly lacks focus: if it's supposed to be a concert performance, it's a bit dull with too little movement on stage; if it's supposed to be a worship session, then there are too many poseurs on stage and too much added artificial "glitz". Just download the first bunch of songs off the CD, and hope for more like that in the future. . .
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. Interested in reviewing music? Find out
more here.
|