::ALBUM REVIEW::

With a number of independent projects under their belt and after making appearances with some of the biggest names in gospel music, the Nevels Sisters have received a great deal of buzz and have even earned from their followers the distinctive comparison to the Clark Sisters. Although a name like the Nevels Sisters may feel a bit old fashioned and may give off the southern charm of a soul quartet, the Nevels Sisters are eons away from being just another dated traditional gospel group. On Beautiful, their first venture on the MoLife label, the group slices into a smorgasbord of modern sounds enhanced by the super-sonic keys and hard, in-your-face drum programming from Tommie “Gunn” Walker, Jr. Emmit Nevels III, the group’s brother, composes or co-writes half of the seventeen tracks offered while Walker, Pam English and Marcus Divine handles the rest on board. If you follow liner notes as of lately, you will recognize Walker’s craft being exercised on projects from Marvin Sapp, Ruben Studdard and Fred Hammond but never has he displayed the kind of in-depth creative confidence and the bold moves he introduces in his wall of sound production ethic.

Big flashy numbers highlight the front of the disc; giving momentum to the Nevels’ cross-bred sounds of the Anointed Pace Sisters and the Clark Sisters. “Time” is smartly executed - equally enhanced with swelling synths and April & Gayle Nevels’ ecstatic vocals. “Clap Your Hands” is bold in its delivery and walking rhythm even if it bears an off-guard resemblance to the ‘80s hit “You Brought the Sunshine” on the chorus. “Company” injects Mo’ Horns’ brass arrangements into what feels like a Missy Elliott-meets-J Moss midtempo workout.

When things cool off on tracks like “Touch” (following a sweet interlude featuring a phone conversation with Mamma), the melodic SWV-ish ballad “Too Long” and the inspiring title cut, the album feels more balanced and well suited for anyone with super mood changes. After a few live-enhanced tracks, “Used to Be,” an unexpected balsamic gem, calmly unites a mellow R&B production with a heartfelt lyric placing lead vocalist April Nevels in a bended knee mode of devotion. The sincerity tucked in her delivery is obviously real when she utters “Laughing when I feel like crying/Smiling while my heart is dying/I need some sunshine in this rain/’Cause I can’t go another day.” It’s one of the last glimmers of greatness on the disc.

There are a few slight missteps present on Beautiful such as the exhaustive lengthiness of the available track selection and even the erratic nature of some of the big busy arrangements on the buzz cuts. Then some songs go a bit over their levels of interest (“I Wanna Bless You,” “Unbelievable”). Sure it dampens the celebration when finding out two of the songs are mistakenly placed out of order when compared to its written form, but that doesn’t take too much away from what is stuffed in this collection. The Nevels deliver a surprisingly appealing and satisfying collection that pairs well with the latest in highly-decorated urban gospel. By far the greatest claim to the disc is how the quality of the production escapes any comparison with lowly indies. Who knows when this group will get their fair share of exposure in gospel’s unfair world of exposure but Beautiful is a good and much-needed push towards that moment of destiny.