::ALBUM REVIEW::
by J Matthew Cobb
Posted: July 14, 2009

With only a few appearances at the Gospel Music Workshop in his repertoire, D.C, native Phillip Carter has a lot to give and a whole lot to prove. The Washington-Baltimore area continues to rise as one of gospel’s prominent hot beds with the upsurge of artists like Jonathan Nelson (who has since relocated to Miami, Florida), Richard Smallwood, Maurette Brown-Clark, Byron Cage, Earnest Pugh and Stephen Hurd. Carter and his fleet of singers, Sounds of Victory (S.O.V.), hope to keep the tradition alive with their new project Songs from the Storm. The presentation features an interesting set of somber worship ballads (“Praising”), pop-enhanced untempo cuts (“A Great Day”, “Trust and Obey”) and the occasional ol’ school traditional workouts (“Ride Out Your Storm”). The main attempts at hurting the album’s credibility is how each song segues into the next. No, it doesn’t sound like a mix tape but the occasional fade-in and fade-out would have buffered up the experience some. Still, it’s a live recording and the attention should directly focus on the power of the songs - and this is where Carter and crew shine the most.

On “Lord We Worship,” the sweet sax echoes and the caring chorus done in Donnie McClurkin’s formulaic worship style provides easy listening. “Eternal Life,” with punchy synths and a soulful Sunday morning drive, elevates the album into a stirring worship experience ready for radio blasts. “Put Your Trust” mingles with John P. Kee’s traditional sampling and animated Chicago-seasoned gospel on the song’s closing. And what seems so unprecedented for such a young freshman, the spirit of the late Donald Vails leaps on the traditional Roberta Martin-styled, hymn-like “Ride Out Your Storm” and offers up a sincerity for the classics. But the album reaches an impressive crest with the arousing churchy sounds of “I Love the Lord.” With a quartet spunk, sparring synths and a delightful sing-a-long chorus, Carter may have found the perfect song to thrust his presence into the gospel field. While it ticks at a radio-unfriendly six minutes, the song holds the attention, sparks a Holy Ghost two-step and times the instrument breaks and ad-libs just right.

There is a glimmering jazzy element adapted into the album that resembles Anita Baker’s ‘80s productions like on the ‘80s gospel power ballad “He Cares” and the smooth, adult-contemporary flavor of “Praising;” which lyrically and melodically borrows Christopher Cross’ 1980 hit “Sailing.”

The excellent thing about Songs from the Storm is that Carter allows the vocalists to handle lead duties and definitely prove to be great leaders out front. He doesn’t hog the live recording and talk over the project like some ego-manic worship leaders and he isn’t one to bludgeon his style into one specific category. He’s comfortable writing and performing soulful material and energetic upbeat contemporary gospel - and is equally crafted in both areas. And with the healthy mix of friendly traditions and a few praise-and-worship ingredients, Carter has established a sound for himself that not only fits well on him and his aggregation, but will most certainly become a beloved addition to diehard gospel collectors.