::ALBUM REVIEW::

Every now and then a breath of fresh air tends to confuse the air of the gospel music current - usually it comes from an unexpected place and an unclockable time. The oxygen from Pee Wee Callins' satisfying "Street Soul", presented on the urban-inspired Beatmart Recordings label, is flexing and entertaining; showcasing a brand of versatility not really revealed often in the gospel arena. And while the project bears an inspirational stamper on it and can easily be interpreted as a urban gospel collection, this project covers various social issues like romance and insecurities along with versatile musical elements ranging from hip-hop to soul in a matter of minutes; making it much more difficult to label such a well-balanced mix of diverse backgrounds.

What also makes this project so delightful to the ears is how Callins neatly tucks his musical influences into the backbone of the music. He explores the modern neo-soul artistic textures of Raheem Devaughn, Lyfe Jennings and Kem with an energetic ode to the old-school legends of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. With the supporting vision of Todd Collins (Out of Eden, Katinas), high-energy cuts like "Keep Hope Alive" and "Sunshine" are well received. But the old-school vibes are probably the most effective performances offered. "Party", for example, exhibits the 80s-retro vibes of funk groups like Brick and the Gap Band with its thumpy synthesizer action and simple drum programming. "Free", co-written by Callins, is peppered with delicate expressions of light R&B and infectious guitar thumps from Michael Ripoll; sounding like a Marcus Miller production on a modern Luther Vandross record. It's a careful merge of contemporary jazz (in the minds of George Benson and Najee) with an effective groove that creates a sensation to hit the repeat button. Even more wittier is the clever sample of Kirk Franklin's "woh-woh-woh" phrasing from "Revolution". "I Choose Love", another engaging ballad smoked with Callins' pure vocals has that Earth Wind And Fire appeal with its familiar melody touching the surface of "That's The Way Of The World". Labelmate Bobby Bishop spits out charging rhymes on "I Need You"; spearheaded by a lucid string arrangement and elementary piano chord; elevating this track into a must-listen event.

And when you begin to scratch the surface of social or romance issues (previously mentioned), "With You", is a wonderful rendition of the Tony Terry R&B classic. Hard to place a love ballad like this in the middle of an urban gospel/inspirational project, but the addition is noteworthy. The arrangement is simple and well developed for a modern take on such a fine piece. Can someone say: wedding song of the year. "Better Life" deal with the sensitive subject of empowering fathers to be better examples and stepping into manhood ("we gonna get up out the hood, we gonna treat our women right, we gonna stay and make sure that our children have a better life"). The song flows on a mellow R&B groove with calming background vocals overlaying an acoustic beat. The brainstorm of Lyfe Jennings' "Lyfe 268-192" debut is experimented here and done with great taste; barely compromising any Christian standards for worldly fortune. But if you find any of these cuts, specifically "With You", "Free" or "I Need You", hitting R&B radio, don't get angry. The music would confuse anyone, yet the lyrics are inspiring, encouraging and are build upon quality tracks and instrumentation. Despite a few cheesy and cliche' lyrics on cuts like "Can Somebody", not enough WOW-Factor and one or two passable tracks, Callins has clearly giving the face of gospel a healthy, melodic, soulful makeover.