::ALBUM REVIEW::

From the flatbeds of Indianapolis, Indiana comes one of the burgeoning choral aggregations to step into the contemporary gospel mold. On their independent debut It Happened In Worship, Reflections of God Chorale, championed by choir leader Demetrius West, carries the neighboring traditions of Chicago choir gospel into a beefy set of infectious contemporary grooves and sophisticated worship choral ballads. Taped at the New Direction Christian Church, the nine-track offering (minus intros, reprises and interludes) may be a bit brief in performance but technically it’s not lacking substance.

West is in good hands with his accompanying skillful band punctuated by the multi-talented album producer Will Amos (who handles drums, organ and keyboards) and Jeffery Thomas on piano. Much of the compositions are penned by West - proving he’s not just another friendly face on an album cover searching for space in the credits. And he proves he’s got the skills to deliver modern drives pierced with fancy hooks and synth-laden sounds. Opening the album is an earful of sassy traditional energy on “Can’t Stop;” clearly echoing the sentiments of Ricky Dillard’s trademark gospel. “Things Are Looking Better,” a VaShawn Mitchell-styled uptempo groove, is well delivered. With the catchy unison-friendly verses, a vamp loaded with modulations and a looping piano line that easily resembles the works of Kurt Carr’s “In the Sanctuary,” the song aims to please with its warm and inviting message of prophetic inspiration. Aided by drum programming and urban synths, “Sing Praises” is given a cool club bump that is warmhearted and sufficient for youth choirs and for gospel radio. Towards the end, the music loses some of its steam and pulse when the musicians get too comfortable on the vamp. West doesn’t help matters much with his piercing, in-you-ear chants, but the groove is far too interesting to pass up. Traditional lovers - in the ballpark of Sunday morning choir action - will find “God Works Miracles” very much appealing. In places lead vocalist Tiffany Jones a bit erratic with her ad-libs, but she gets through the simple churchy workout. The revisit to the L.A. Mass Choir 1989 hit “That’s When You Bless Me” is definitely a surprise to hear. It’s a shame that a song with so much intensity and ministry has barely been re-recorded after all these years but West works wonders with the beloved ballad by slightly slowing down the rhythm and delivering fiercer harmonies.

Still the greatness of the album surprisingly doesn’t fall on the fast, uptempo cuts but instead centers around the love ballads. “The Conversation” sounds so much like an unreleased Brent Jones/L.A. Mass cut from the 1990's. Smartly inserted in the buoyantly-expressed melodies is a quick reminder of Kirk Franklin’s “Faith” from the God’s Property album with a bright topping of the Pointer Sisters’ “Yes We Can Can.” “Welcome” and “Holy” are worshipful and reverent in most cases, but leans towards big soulful powerhouse vamps to create dramatic climaxes perfect for live performances. Alongside the Rudolph Stanfield-styled keyboard touches of Jeffery Thomas, Darrel Harris shines on the ad-lib moments of “Holy;” sweetly merging the majestic beauty of worship music with infectious gospel.

It Happened In Worship may get a pale face from listeners when they encounter the album fillers (like the Brian Anderson-Payne sermonette) and when they get a whiff of the raw finished mix. But in contrast with most of today’s choirs, West and crew are on their way to higher ground. Fans of new age rafter-raising choir masters like Malcolm Williams or VaShawn Mitchell will find the disc quite entertaining and well above expectations. While relatively fresh in the public eye, West and ROGC delivers one of the more satisfying debuts in the independent gospel music world and aims - with their mixbag of glossy ballads and uptempo gems - to keep the surviving tradition of gospel choirs around a big longer.