::ALBUM REVIEW::
by J Matthew Cobb
Posted: September 22, 2009

Just a year ago, the headlines weren’t in favor of J Moss. Out came the scary details of an adulterous relationship with a Georgia woman who gave birth to his child. It seemed like the urban gospel singer, who earlier crafted one of the coolest collaborations in crossover gospel with R&B crooner Anthony Hamilton, was well on his way down the same path of other disgraced musical heroes (i.e, Chris Brown, Robert Kelly). But J Moss took a very brief hiatus from the limelight and decided to rush back into the studio to create something of an apology for his faithful audience. Just James, the third album from the super talent, is aptly titled; revealing both a more venerable and isolated persona than on previous records. This time, Moss leaves off the superstar cameo appearances and even veers away from his Clark-Moss connections to piece together his own diary submissions. But no need to sob with disbelief; Moss is a strong-willed veteran of the studio and has proven on many occasions to be quite effective, under most circumstances, when at the helm of the production booth.

From the depths of the brief, ten track collection, Just James takes a leaner approach to the big, bombastic urban grooves of V2 and refocuses on the worshipful, reverent character of “We Must Pray.” Sure, “I Gave It Up,” a big party warm-uper celebrating freedom from the old creature, points back to Moss’s amped-up anthems but it’s the last chance of that kind of party here. Much of the album focuses its lyrical attention on heartfelt worship ballads like “Sweet Jesus” and the gospel-peppered “Holy One.” On “Anointing,” Moss pays tribute to jazz great Nat “King" Cole on the opening minutes of the cool, relaxed jazzy intro, but it ends up sounding like a more intimate version of the Clark Sisters’ “Endow Me.” “So Into You” is warm worship that flutters over a sing-a-long chorus and a familiar Integrity/Hosanna! color-by-number pattern. To add to the musical shift, much of the album’s pulse surrounds his heart for change and new direction – highly chronicled in the lyrics of the lead single "Restored." By blending both acoustic pop with rock-embellished gospel, "Restored" stands as one of the album’s strongest spots while also whispering some of the restorative moments since his public stumble.

But Moss does engage in some crafty musical innovations, even borrowing from the Stargate craftsmanship on the moving, melodic title cut. “No More,” blending futuristic, light-synth sounds with a pop dance groove, is bound to appeal to his younger audiences while also opening up the threshold of new R&B converts. And in between the urban beats and trendy production, there’s a great deal of transparency and growth that evokes some of Moss’s strongest lyrics to date, especially on “God Happens.” The chorus leaps with immediate ministry: “People will leave you out to die/And not even care that they made you cry/And the more you try to make it right/It seems like nothing happens/Friends will leave you out to dry/Told you they will never leave your side/But you will find in the nick of time/God happens.”

Just James is still loaded with the big gospel finishes and the super-stacked Moss background vocals - something that has so easily been etched into the J Moss aesthetic. And while he soars vocally and shows no disappointment with his convictions and vocal expeditions, the looping, repetitive vamps with Moss preaching away his through high-octane ad-libs are becoming more and more predictable; particularly on the ballads. But Just James is a humbling experience that calms some of the macho ego-driven impulses from before and opens up more of the melodic pleasures from Moss’s abilities. Even with only ten tracks (forty minutes if you’re counting), Moss does a grand job in making each song a pleasurable event. It’s pretty understandable, after hearing the relaxation and evenness of the album, to interpret Just James as a strong contender for one of 2009's better gospel entries.