::ALBUM REVIEW::

The further down south you go, you are bound to run across gospel music lovers that are hooked to the classic quartet sound. And carrying the soulful traditions of this surviving art form with a great deal of class and sophistication is the Tupelo, MI-based Spirituals QC’s, led by their auspicious lead singer Lee Williams. The group, with their deep South bluesy roots and their passion to keep traditional gospel afire, have earned a popular following since their 1999 MCG debut and continue to defy the odds with impressive sales and consecutive hits supported by strenuous radio airplay. Now on their sixth musical offering on James Bullard and Jerry Peters’ MCG Records, the group releases So Much To Be Thankful For continuing their regimen of traditional quartet grooves enriched in thick guitar instrumentation and close-knit harmonies.

Produced by George Dean and recorded live at the late G.E. Patterson’s Temple of Deliverance Church in Memphis, the eleven-track collection actually pushes the envelope some with a few new stylish techniques compared to their previous works. The album’s opener, “He Laid His Hands On Me”, is a key piece of evidence of that fact with its gospel choir infectious setup and impressive keyboard slides from Cedric Vance. When the group finally leaps into the commanding vamp, there’s a small, yet mind-blowing slice of an intricate chord combination tucked into the mix showcasing innovative attempts. Williams uses his delightful ad-libs to close out the infectious, uptempo cut. “Have Your Way”, with its straight-forward rhythm and bluesy-funky flair, reminds listeners easily of the sounds from the Canton Spirituals. The likeable factor in this song is that the funk is felt from the very beginning and can even be traced deep in the lyrical deliveries of the opening chorus: “You are the potter/I’m just the clay/I want you to make me, mold me, anyway you want me/I will obey.” On calmer material, the six-minute title cut walks around a Memphis-styled blues drive and even hearkens the spirit of Al Green’s gospel records. The grit and poise of Williams’ vocals match the smooth gospel sounds of this reflective cut. What is so remarkable about this inclusion is that the song’s fade is just as memorable as the rest of the cut. It takes place at the right moment with its volume gently sliding off like a stranger walking into the distant sunset; a move producer George Dean pulled off perfectly.

Songs like their remake of “Jesus Is Waiting” and the heartfelt “In My New Home” showcase delightful contemporary soul efforts. While the songs are recorded live, you can easily sense what would happen if soul artists of today took these creations into the studio. And though Williams gets top billing as the group’s apparent leader, Patrick Hollis, Leonard Shumpert and Tommy Harris share occasional lead vocals throughout the album. “Come See About Me”, around the chorus, actually sounds like a gospel version and an update of the Supremes 1964 hit wrapped up in one. But the infectious rhythm controlled by Dawayne Welch’s drum work and passionate lead deliveries from Leonard Shumpert.

While the album charms listeners for the most part, there are a few “just average” cuts dance into the mix. It’s hard to get over the Southern gospel/bluegrass sounds of their rendition of the hymn “Oh I Want To See Him.” The version doesn’t wear the same spark of the other cuts and may have been better arranged using a slower drive. “So Much Trouble” feels dreary and spacy - possibly due to its continual, never-ending light strings in the background or the cloudy arrangement of the QC’s harmonies. They aren’t bad songs, but with extra spice and creative input the songs would be strongly complimentary to the stronger cuts. Plus, the failure in mentoning the authors of the album's compositions is met with a great deal of dissatisfaction.

The arrangement of the song tracks flow in the fashion of today’s gospel quartets (Canton Spirituals, Williams Brothers, Jackson Southernaires) when recording in live settings, but Williams may be the more polished of them all. Just watch Williams perform live and you will witness how relaxed and serious he is. And while he can easily be linked in comparison to the coolness Jerry Butler exerted during his Ice Man era, Williams embodies a spirit of quartet excellence that proves that the ageless style of quartet gospel is still big business in the gospel market. Though relatively short, So Much To Be Thankful For may be the group's best collection assembled since 2000's Good Time and strongly wins as one of the best traditional gospel records of 2007.