::ALBUM REVIEW::
by J Matthew Cobb
Posted: May 18, 2009

At first glance, one might think Holy Boy was just a gospel experiment that surely had R&B superstar Usher in mind. He sure has the looks, the charming smile and the baby-face. But while gospel has always been one step behind the latest craze in pop culture, it’s still never too late to try something refreshing using kiddie-bop sensations and a smidgen of personality. The Mobile, Ala native, born Herbert Woods, is the latest in the gospel-meets-urban saga stepping into the familiar avenues of R&B heartthrobs Usher and Chris Brown hoping to make urban gospel sound more sensational than being an underground movement. And with a name that sounds as if it had leaped out of the pages of Marvel Comics, Holy Boy is sure to rally up a rousing set of kids interested in his urban-pop infused gospel message on his Fontana/Universal debut Out Of Time.

Most of the album floats from urban head bangers and creamy worship-homed slow jams that impressively features Holy Boy handling much of the work on his own while keeping his credible vocal crooning at full throttle. The club-nourished “Where the Praizers At” digs deep into Usher’s “Yeah” and goes through old-school ‘90s synths and the classic city roll call. While likeable in certain spots, it’s a bit gimmicky for today’s urban gospel standards. “Whoa Whoa,” with its Chris Brown/Omarion trademarks, offers up better results due to its catchy melody. In ballad territory, Holy Boy shines the most on the assuring testimony title track. With its sultry Quiet Storm mood reminiscent of the Isley Brothers and the complimentary guitar plucks from David Cochran, “Out of Time” shines with comfortable radio-friendly appeal. Another favorable selection, “Church Tonight,” echoes the warm pied-piper effects of R. Kelly’s “Step In the Name of Love” without sounding too much like a gospel remix. The obvious drifting from the young vibes is on the gospel ballad “Hold On;” a track that vigorously enters into a charismatic moment of ad-lib ministry after alienated away too easily from the warmness of the resembling Smokie Norful piano/vocal setup.

While the singer/songwriter impresses by handling most of the instrumentation and production on Out of Time, the good tracks are surrounded by bland and incomplete-sounding fillers like the lyrically indistinct “God Chaser” and the demo-sounding “All the Way.” And while “We Need Your Now” possesses the luster of a J Moss interlude, it patches flimsy live participation over a studio effort that repeats the title until its eventual fade.

Evidently there’s much promise for the talented songwriter/producer/singer. He shows healthy signs of being an up-and-coming producer, regardless of genre choice. Even though he loses the battle of originality while paying too much homage to today’s urban R&B crooners, Holy Boy passes the test from sounding too local. Still, Out of Time suffers in spots from mawkish lyricism and gimmicky reprises of very familiar R&B tunes. Luckily, Holy Boy has the vocals to make a mediocre track sound interesting. While the teen moniker may need to be axed on the next round (especially since he is well over the age of being called a boy), it’s probably beneficial as an artist for Holy Boy to make an adjustment in growing out of the kiddie-pop tunes.