::ALBUM REVIEW::

Having a past connection with gospel mogul Kirk Franklin has had its share of advantages for today's generation of newcomers. Tamela and David Mann, a former member of the now-defunct Family, are enjoying their season of success with Tyler Perry's popular gospel stageplays and bigger-than-life motion pictures. John Gray, another member of the Family alumni, has appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network several times showcasing his amazing mix of humor, preaching and singing. Another name you may want to take focus upon includes former God's Property member Myron Butler - whom has served diligently in the background penning exceptional material for artists including Kirk Franklin, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Twinkie Clark, Kim Burrell and Ted & Sheri. Now the time has emerged for the busy body behind the scenes to appear before the masses. Some will agree that it is due time for the songwriter/singer extraordinaire, but never mind that. He's here now, and with his very own group, Levi (whom features former members of the extinct God's Property aggregation), he satisfies ears with a groovy original numbers and a nice combination of contemporaized traditional

On his debut on EMI Gospel, Butler thrills with the infectious opener, "That Place", penned by Larron Vaughn, which blends the soulful sounds of Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield, along with a Southern slice of horns. With a thick bassline provided by Keith Taylor and Bobby Sparks handling the keys, this musical flashback helps sum up the basis of the entire collection - 70s styled instrumentation, hints of progressive neo-soul and contemporized church-friendly music. With hints of spicy funk and traditional gospel nuggets, the song definitely works, even though the ending definitely morphs into another character all together; sounding almost like a rock showcase. "I Can", using those same elements, reminds us of GP's former hit, "Faith". The lyrical content patterns the former, but the musical structure flows like "That Place". Funky opener doused with hearty bass, then jazzy-like gospel, then comes a dizzy ending going through spirals of modulations and odd like combinations. It's like Kim Burrell, James Hall and Kirk Franklin wrapped all in one. Surprisingly, it works for a minute but you begin to wonder if both songs would have met total satisfaction if the right ending was attached. A different sound all together, the title track, finds Butler experimenting with catchy rhythms and punchy coordination with a Korg board and Levi's vocals, along with Candy West's lead part, are strong in character and works their harmonies with vibrant skill.

Of course, this project allows us to see Butler's songwriting skills on a long-playing format and not just in the single experience that we are known to catch from him. "Latter Rain" is a smooth, jazz groove, sounding like a song recorded by Chicago (the pop/R&B group), The horn arrangements here are zesty and full of animation, and the song is neatly knitted together, even though it's hard to pinpoint where it is going musically. But the lyrics and the musical adventure prove the abilities within Butler are strongly rooted in the groundwork of 70's R&B and soul. "Alright", co-written by Robert Searight, Jr. and Levi member Caltomeesh West, is a midtempo fun groove finding a psychedelic whirl being the foundation of the melodic groove featuring Butler sharing lead opportunities with Larron Vaughn. "Redeemed" is a slow innocent tune possessing youthful phrasing from Levi and smooth harmonies definitely reminding us of days of old with God's Property. With glimpses of Tye Tribbett's fancy work, this song proves to be a sensational standout in being one of the album's emotional strong points. Following that same formula, yet missing the grace "Redeemed" owned, is "Everything". A worship tune, "That's Who You Are", also features majestic parts from Levi along with intimate lyrics reminding us of the greatness of our Lord.

After a quick analysis of Butler's debut, you can easily hear the influence of Franklin upon Butler's compositions. That's probably the strangest thing about this project. Butler only sounds original when he plays with different styles of music like on "Latter Rain", but the transparency of their likeness is still evident. Being a part of Kirk Franklin's entourage for too long almost made Butler's craftsmanship seem like it was cloned. Even with Jimmy Wyatt on organ and Bobby Sparks on keyboards, musicians whom also worked with Franklin, are part of this journey. Good thing about this project is Butler does show his individualized brilliance in places and reveals his own creativity within the mix. Plus, Butler emphasizes the musical framework much more than Franklin, but it's not good enough to end comparisons. The comparisons will be there.

While this album doesn't sound highly original to most gospel listeners, the album does offer a pleasant list of songs and several moments of thrilling enjoyment. And knowing this debut is a studio collection filled with no extra parties, no gigantic off-the-wall promotion and not a bunch of hollering and talking attached to these colorful melodies makes this adventure a little more appealing. Surely, this project proves a sophomore project is underway.