::ALBUM REVIEW::

The Brooklyn community has been a vital exponent towards the progression of contemporary gospel music; producing great legends including Reverend Isaac Douglas, the Institutional Radio Choir, Reverend Timothy Wright and Hezekiah Walker. Jonathan Hall is hoping to continue that legacy with his newly-developed independent music label, IMOK Gospel, and the introduction of the Voices of Promise. Comprised of the youth and young adults of the St. Mary Church of God In Christ, this group - led by prominent songwriter Hall, choir director Angela Hall and album producer Martin Christie - prepares to keep the rich tradition of their beloved community moving forward on their debut release Awesome. For the most part, they walk through an amazing set of nostalgic-sounding gospel penned by some of Brooklyn’s finest composers including Melvin Crispell, Professor Butch Heyward and James Hall on their debut release; Awesome. And to bring added embellishment to the material is a fine set of musicians featuring the presence of Melvin Crispell (organ), Eddie Heyward (drums), Dwayne Wright (bass) and impressive work from newcomers Martin Christie on keyboards.

Impressively, the bulk of the stronger, up-tempo cuts are assembled to the front of the disc; giving Awesome a high-octane jolt of energy to calm any high unreasonable expectations. “Time Is Moving,” penned by jazz gospel virtuoso James Hall, inserts his brand of Big Band gospel into a mild Timothy Wright-esque funk groove. With added horn deliveries, Eddie Heyward’s skillful drum work and Hall’s timely songwriting, the song favorably lights up with the kind of grit Hall first displayed on his 1991 debut of “God Is In Control.” On Melvin Crispell’s “A Wonderful Change,” the groovy song delivers the exact same tenacity he contributed to Hezekiah Walker’s big bold choir anthems like “Jesus Is My Help” and “I’ll Be Satisfied.” Simple, catchy, full of vibrant force and highly supported by Crispell’s renowned vamp modulations, the song easily emerges as one of the album’s brightest moments. Kenneth Hall’s “He’s Coming Again,” locked down by a gutsy reggae-tinged beat, captures a great choral performance from the Voices of Promise and remarkably pulls off the surprising tag with its advanced logistics of scattered choral parts. Other highlights packaged towards the front of the disc include the bright funk of Butch Heyward’s “Stand By Me” and Tunesha Crispell’s churchy performance on the apostolic-styled “I’ll Reign With Him.”

Towards the closing of the disc, things get shuffled from intermediate to more dismal activity. But there are a few refreshments interjected into the playlist such as the loads of oozing funk on Hall’s prayerful and scripturally-etched “Have Mercy” and his warm breezy ballad “Looking For A Cloud” (highlighted with Craig Crawford’s woodwinds).

Awesome heavily relies on the big uptempo cuts and finds Voices of Promise in good condition. Where their weaknesses come in are on the slow, solo-driven ballads and the uninspired tracks towards the end. The production is a bit too raw; showcasing the strong possibility that high ceilings at the live recording session were definitely in place creating the forbidden echo that is in place. It has that dated sound that conjures the production of Hall’s God Is In Control (1991) or Natalie Wilson/St. Paul Sounds of Praise’s Not The Same (1995) - both very good remissible projects but stained with dated production. There are awkward moments where the young soloists goes into uncharted terrain - including Brianna Turner-Fields’s billowing high notes on “Stand By Me” and Tristan Crishon-Wright’s uncomfortable lower register on the soul ballad “Trust In Him.” There are even a few instances where you can tell vocal overdubbs were in place and attempted to overshadow the original - leaving a distracting echo in the ear. But heavy criticism shouldn’t be the final judgement for this young group - since they are way before their time of skillful experience. According to the group’s bio, this also happened to be the official public debut as a group. While the idea of recording a group without making some appearances or having the experience to perform in a live setting is a bit premature, the grounds of forgiveness are present for Awesome since they are still supported by a well loved and talented community. Those acts of kindness from such an all-star slate of musicians and songwriters alone help save the day for the bourgeoning Voices of Promise.