::ALBUM REVIEW::

Though Sandra Crouch had been a loyal member of the COGIC's and the Disciples (groups established by her successful twin brother Andrae'), she may have feared at one point in her career that any individual contribution from her would be overshadow by the tremendous breakthroughs of achievements Andrae' Crouch made towards gospel music. And from a contrasting point-of-view, this may well could be the case. But Sandra Crouch, a brilliant songwriter in her own right, assembled the illustrious "We Sing Praises" (1983) and thrilled both traditional and contemporary camps with contagious grooves and infectious performances. Capping it off is a major production, handled by Sandra and Andrae' Crouch, that still rivals the majority of live recordings produced during this era. With most of the eight songs being exclusively penned by Sandra Crouch and her very traditional, gritter voice (probably more grittier than her brother Andrae') highlighting most of the lead parts along with an energetic band and church choir providing the spirited attitude throughout the entire disc, this collection is assuringly soulful to the ear from start to finish.

The opener on "Magnify The Lord With Me" finds Sandra Crouch slowly walking through in a broken metered fashion, but the choir jumps in afterwards and delivers the memorable chorus (also used recently in Joe Pace's "Let There Be Praise"). When the vamp rolls in, a twist of funk guided by thumping bass and infectious choral punctuation colorfully finishes the classic. Lewis Jones assists Crouch on the hymn rendition of "There Is Power In The Blood"; a song featuring a guest appearance from Sister Rose - former R&B singer and band member of Sly Stone's Family Stone. The breezy calypso drive along with the midtempo groove is especially remembered. One may remember Jae Nixon & Dunamis rearranging this same cut on their "I'm A Witness He'll Make It Alright" project. "My Soul Loves Only You", another attention-getter, fills like a traditionally paced Hawkins composition with its startling emphasis on mesmerizing choral harmonies. But "He's Worthy", a gospel anthem showcasing Crouch's brilliant neo-traditional compositon skills, remains the strongest event on the disc. A majestic pipe organ leads the way along with a thrusting chorus and vamp that still works wonders years thereafter.

There surely isn't a dry cut featured on "We Sing Praises" - even towards the end of the disc. Another prized favorite from this classic collection is the inclusion of the ballad "We Need To Hear From You". The song became one of Crouch's trademark hits and has gained immense popularity in recent years. While Crouch's writing style is considered to be a bit more traditional than her brother Andrae', this song definitely feels like a track he birthed. The R&B/poppish thrills of "No Greater Love" and the pop/disco "Glad I Hear Your Voice" (which uses groovy dance synths for its cutesy foundation) help document the sounds of the eighties while showcasing Crouch's thrusting heart for musical progression.

Even with two decades past this album release date, this album still packs a mean punch. The drive of the music feels cocky, the compositions have nice hooks and meaningful lyrics and the award-winning craftsmanship of Sandra and Andrae' Crouch catapult this energetic album into gospel's hall of fame. Yes,the album is short and features eight songs. How much do you think the label could put on a 33 1/3 LP at that time? But "We Sing Praises", all the way through, is a seasoned celebration worth experiencing.