::ALBUM REVIEW::

After making some noise with their urban contemporary debut on the Emtro music label, L. Spenser Smith & Testament are back at it again. On "Statement: The Assignment Continues", the Alabama-based ensemble continues in the funky, over-the-top brand of urbanized sophisticated gospel music that drew listeners to their first project. This time around, Smith embraces the front more and makes his presence known on most of the album's fourteen cuts while Testament, an important supporting cast to the musical framework, secures themselves around heavy instrumentation and horn arrangements supervised by producer/songwriter/ keyboardist John Jackson.

The album opens up with the last few bars of the Star Spangled Banner, played only by Mark Blair's lead guitar and a few board strings. Of course, this is just a single prelude and preparatory for a bigger event - a precursor of what's to come. When "I'm Free" blasts away with its rock/funk musical throwdowns of big horns and finger-slapping bass, their intentions of creating something paranormal for modern gospel are set in stone. The stark earthiness of the cut gives off an angry tone for a message that seems so inviting. Plus there's not much detail to the song as it lives off of the hype that surrounds most one-line singles like Tye Tribbett's "No Way (G.A. Chant)" and Hezekiah Walker's "Free Inside". That same energy and insight is used here but with several modulations to add to the song's musical enlightenment. But there are a few rewarding moments offered on "Statement". Zachary Kale's acoustic guitar and Smith's moving solo warmly sets up "Live I Love You" and provides a soothing pop ballad blanket atop a composition that transcends standard gospel territories. Mario Cooper's "You Bring Me Joy" is set up using Fats Waller's ingredients of hot stride jazz and incorporates cool traditional gospel affection into the mix. Songs like "Right Here" and "Greater" uses the contemporary R&B flavor and songwriting credibility of Commissioned's flavor to help transcend a level of hype to the disc, but the songs, even with its strongest highlights, lacks the strength of most urban heavy industry hitters.

Most of the friction of dissatisfaction may surround the busy musical arrangements and fancy chord work, but the ballads captured on "Statement" are definite improvements from "Assignment #1". Songs of worship, styled with smoother layers of instrumentation, are filtered throughout the collection and are sensitive to the passion found within the lyrics. "Let Me In Your Presence", penned by Lamar Simmons, loops itself a bit too much but is exalted with moving vocals from Kevin Bennett on the engaging vamp. "In Your Presence" opens with a calming contemporary jazz prelude featuring dazzling basswork from Alvin Garrett and clean keyboard work from Jackson. Smith renders a sweet vocal performance and creates the right moment for the disc. "Surgery", penned by Romel Gibson and Jackson, has emerged to become the buzz song on the disc for its effective rhyme timing and poetic prose. Yet it's far from being a full song - clocking in at just one minute. Possibly an interlude, the song still ministers as it cries out "I admit I need you [God] to do surgery on me". Blanche McAllister, former member of the Tri-City Singers, slips into the guest box on "He'll Come" and delivers her smoky vocals to the friendly pop melody of the cut. Clearly one of the album's stronger highlights. Not just because of McAllister's commanding adlibs, but the song rests in the quarters of musical boundaries while succeeding in creating the right sound and posture for the group.

Certain shortcomings pop up here and there. Not enough gospel energy, not enough church-friendly material and not enough radio-designed singles are the "not enoughs". And then on some cuts there's the "too much" factor: too much instrumentation, too many busy horn arrangements and too many slow songs. While the ballads are the greatest achievement on "Statement", it may confuse fans whom enjoyed the first disc, with its faster paced rhythms, since there's a distinctive shift on board. Meanwhile, the production is clean, slick and a great factor when boiling down to the actual sound of the disc, but Testament's vocals should not be mistaken as being a prototype for most church choirs. Gone away are the texturities of a rich, mature tenor section and the thick harmonies one attribute to in-your-face gospel. This is a production aimed for younger audiences and will probably bring forth an earful of gratification. Fans of Israel Houghton and Tye Tribbett will take to heart the strengths of this album. It's still a good album but far from great.