::ALBUM REVIEW::

After delivering her soaring thin soprano vocals to R&B hits in the 1990s with the soulful triplet Sisters With Voices (SWV), Cheryl "Coko" Gamble has since stepped out on a new journey to charm gospel listeners with songs of inspiration and praise. She reflects on her faith openly on her Light Records' official debut gospel project, "Grateful". Indeed she should not be mistaken as a novice on this assignment since she has appeared as a special musical guest on projects from Youthful Praise, Eric McDaniel and Brent Jones. But being on your own and delivering a full-length gospel project for an artist as qualified and well recognized as Coko is comforting to the ear and should establish the proper introduction to new audiences - both in mainstream and gospel markets.

On "Grateful", Coko enlists an impressive set of popular gospel and pop music producers (Donald Lawrence, Warryn Campbell, Asaph Ward, Shep Crawford) to ultimately create a comfortable scene for Coko's musical transition into the spiritual. Coko fans may be expecting more of a SWV vibe throughout this disc, but the styles are quite versatile and stretches from relaxed hip-hop beats to adventurous contemporary gospel. Donald Lawrence creates the right upbeat gospel jam, possibly the strongest lead single offering, for Coko with "Mighty God". Daniel Witherspoon's keyboard work, blazing with Rhodes and organ, marinates the joyful melody while Lloyd Barry's horn arrangement gives the song that extra drive. Once the vamp jumps in, Coko takes turns with her mother, Lady Tibba Gamble, and breaks forth with engaging excitement. Alex Ward jumps into the mix and delivers a warm rendition of The Clark Sisters' classic, "Endow Me"; one of the album's most talked about events. Part of the buzz surrounds the inclusion of lead vocalists Faith Evans, Fantasia and Lil' Mo with Coko. While the labor seems effortless by ear, the vocals were all recorded at different locations and were compiled using Ward's technical eye. The other part of the buzz may result from the soulful Quiet Storm arrangement, constructed by Tim Mole's guitar and Michael Bereal's organ accents, that feels like a safe harbor for all of the leading ladies. There is even a shouting match of belting, squalls and vocal aerobics found on the vamp - all showcasing the rich qualities each singer inherits. "Look At Me", taken from Tramaine Hawkins' 1976 "Tramaine" album, is peppered with an updated thicker groove from "Big Mike" Clemons and Arthur Strong and is a remarkable work of justice to the original.

Other gems to look into include both of Shep Crawford's contributions: "I Get Joy" (which borrows a strong sample from Earth Wind And Fire's "On Your Face") and "Please Don't Forget" (one of those pop-oriented selections that definitely possesses crossover appeal especially with its slick but assertive lyrics of evangelism). Warryn Campbell's "The Reason" is probably one of the only cuts that bears a resemblance to the SWV sound Coko's fans are expecting. It's sweet and has a flashback sound that reflects the innocence of 90's teen-R&B. "Clap Your Hands" has a melody that borrows the funk from a Destiny's Child track and the groovy thump of a hit disco record. While the many layers of instrumentation are handled by exclusively by Tony Homer, the track still comes off impressive and lives up to the standards of today's urban R&B sounds.

There are those moments where "Grateful" gets a bit uninteresting. "I Promise" rings with blazing 80's synthesizer and does a good job in bringing back electro funk, but the lyrics tend to get lost in the rhythms. This usually happens when the words aren't strong enough to match its dominant competition. "Hymn Medley" tends to drown with the lack of activity and feels alienated in most places. The title cut is obviously influenced from Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis' work with Janet Jackson. The message is encouraging and works well for this kind of album but it doesn't feel as strong as the bigger cuts.

But make no mistake about it. Coko definitely sweats on this effort and works very hard to pour out her trademark vocals and intense charisma on the cuts. She doesn't sound like a R&B artist striving to do gospel - another milestone for Coko's fresh career in gospel. And with the right crew of producers and musicians (including her husband Mike Clemons) involved, Coko is surrounded around great sounds and greater possibilities for the future.