Forever Jones - Musical Revival [Music Review]

Artist: Forever Jones

Album: Musical Revival

Album Length: 11 Tracks, 38 minutes, 21 seconds

Street Date: April 10, 2012

Label: EMI Gospel

iPod Pick: Being With You

If you thought ‘He Wants All’ was the best thing that could ever happen come from the Grammy nominated family band Forever Jones, you are most definitely wrong. In a world were artists are always termed not to really outdo their first work (since it more like it took them the most time to prepare for that one) Forever Jones offers an even more powerful and vibrant sophomore project. And honestly this one is on a whole new level leaving the gospel-negro spiritual style they are known for and edging out into a unique sound which is pop/hip-hop/Urban/RnB with a bit of edginess which some might term rock.

‘Hallelujah’ starts off the album with an intro that might get you (if you are a lady) doing the independent-lady salute (and if you are a guy) doing the dougie. It’s a very groovy tune but not has groovy has the party ready and power pumped ‘Musical Revival’ that might have you throwing a party at first listen. It sounds musically something mainstream artist Rihanna might record on an album. ‘Being With You’ is beautiful in its entirety, never heard anything like it before. The vocals are slurred and sung in ad-lib Adele (or say Musiq Soulchild) style. It would break through a dusty window in your heart like sunlight with causing any damage. It’s really that beautiful and it’s got a rap too somewhere in the middle. It’s embedded in a tune that kind of allows the throwback/snapback dance. ‘Hold Me Still’, ‘Every Moment’ (my personal favorite), ‘Just The Way’, ‘Rescue’ and ‘I See You’ are very intimate songs written in the first person God format ( like God is singing) and conversational prayer form. And they are all musically beautiful. And less I forget the wailing/chant vocal form on ‘Every Moment’ is hauntingly beautiful. I paused at the window on my first listen gazing beyond through the whole song as it played over my dock station in my living room.

‘You’re Welcome’ takes us back to church (in the usual Forever Jones’ style) and it’s excellently done, lyrically and musically too. ‘Most of All’ is a bold song on the very sensitive but yet culturally relevant issue of life purpose, funny enough it might just remind you of Natalie Grant singing one of her very ‘anthemic’ songs. The vocals on ‘I know Who I’m Living For’ would bring Mali Music to mind. What would it be like if Florida made music and Mali Music did vocals? Whatever answer you come up with is what this song might sound like to you.

This album is such a complete package that this review focuses more on the musical side of it. Lyrically this album is also packed and for a Gospel album it is far from the clichéd standard most have set. I must say this is the best record yet I have listened to this year. There’s something about this record that goes way beyond its mainstream sound. I believe it’s heavily anointed. This isn’t the Forever Jones you came to know on the debut ‘Get Ready’. ‘Musical Revival’ is a whole experience you do not want to not be a part of.

Introducing : Dara Maclean

Meet new singer on the block, Dara Maclean. Her new single ‘Suitcases’ is already all over iTunes now. In fact she’s listed as one of iTunes artist to look out for including others like Miguel, lemonade mouth and many others. Dara’s music is something between the mid roads of the style of Lauryn Hill, the voice of Adele and the little pop spunk Natalie grant and Francesca Battistelli have in their music making her a unique artist to look out for. Building a summer playlist already? Let Dara have a place on it.

MANDISA - WHAT IF WE WERE REAL

Artist – Mandisa

Album – What If We Were Real

Label - Sparrow Records

Street Date – April 5, 2011

Album Length – 11 Tracks, 38 minutes 29 seconds

Genre - Pop/ Urban/ RnB

IPod Pick – Free 

 

First of all, I would like to say I was shocked by Jesusfreakhideout.com’s review on this album. It was in a way quite ‘belittling’. I formally wasn’t a big fan of former idol contestant, Mandisa but with this one, I became an instant one. Yes it’s that good. Lyrically, the album centers on authenticity in religion and just being real with our faith. 

The album opens up with the hard clap ‘Stronger’ on which Mandisa encourages listeners ‘the pain won’t last forever/ it’s only gonna make you stronger’. The title track ‘What if we were real’ a rock edgy tune with a nice lead guitar rhythm  follows with Mandisa opening up singing ‘I’m tired of saying everything I feel I’m supposed to say/ I’m tired of smiling all the time I wanna throw the mask away’ and she goes on in the chorus ‘We keep trying to make it look so nice/ and we keep hiding what’s going on inside/what if I shared my brokenness what if you shared how you feel .  . . . . What if we were real’? ‘These days’ is a soft pop, feel good song with very sincere lyrics. Mandisa sings about how God shows up through the little irrelevances and annoyances (like traffic and searching for our phones in the mornings). ‘It’s funny what you use to help me grow’ she sings on this one. ‘The truth about me’ talks about looking at ourselves in God’s mirror and not that of the world, listening to what God really says about us. ‘You say lovely I say broken/  I say guilty you say forgiven’ Mandisa sings passionately in the refrain. ‘Say goodbye’ is a personal favourite. It is beautiful really in its entirety. TobyMac appears on the party ready ‘Good Morning’. The intro to this one is quite reminiscent to Kylie Minogue’s ‘Love at first sight’. ‘Waiting for Tomorrow’ is a nice tune with very thoughtful lyrics and sounds a bit in bass lines like Natalie Grants ‘What are you waiting for’ from her ‘Awaken’ project. The fine piano ballad ‘Just cry’ picks up the central theme of being real. The bouncy ‘Temporary fills’ condemns a culture of ‘want itall, buy it all’.

Okay, ‘Free’ is just Mandisa on a whole new level, you just need to listen to this. On ‘Lifeline’, Mandisa acknowledges God as our source. The album closes up with an acoustic version of ‘Stronger’ which funny enough sounds very unique and is worth the listen.

Mandisa’s new album ‘What if we were real’ is what we’ve been waiting for since she left the American idols but it’s a pity we had to wait a couple of years before we could get it. On ‘What if we were real’ Mandisa shows her ‘realness’ in skill as a musical artist of her own class with style. The whole album’s got hand prints of handwork all over it. Mandisa’s great voice is put to better use; the tunes are great and the lyrics beyond amazing. Mandisa’s latest is the real deal and worth the listen. Go for it people!

 

NATALIE GRANT - LOVE REVOLUTION

Artist- Natalie Grant

Album- Love Revolution

Label-  Curb Records

Street date- 24 August 2010

Album length- 12 Tracks. 52 Minutes 44 Seconds

Genre- Pop

IPod pick- Human

Four times GMA award winner of the female vocalist of the year award, Natalie Grant does have a great voice, but I just don’t get the point. Why does she have to channel her powerful vocals into a genre that just doesn’t suit her voice? That story was for her former albums (maybe except ‘Awaken’, that was a good one). On ‘Love Revolution’ the story changes and more.  .  .

I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on Natalie’s Love Revolution album once I heard that former winner of American Idols; Jordin Sparks penned a song (Human) for the album. With the first listen I wasn’t disappointed. The album opens up with the rock driven ‘Daring to be’ that talks about leaving one’s comfort zone to show love to others. Generally the album avoids the pitfall of cliché lyrics. Lyrics like ‘I’m waving goodbye to my pretty little life’ on ‘Daring to be’ and ‘may what I behold still my anxious heart/ take what I have known and break it all apart’ on ‘Greatness of Our God’ (which was the first single from the album and also covered on Hillsong’s ‘Beautiful Exchange’) are proof of this.

The track ‘Love Revolution’ is a rising love anthem that I fell in love with on first listen. Natalie goes the Gospel style on ‘Someday Our King would come’, an encouragement to believers and her voice does sure shines through on this one. The beaty ‘Human’ is an RnB flavoured tune which sounds like something Jordin Sparks herself or contemporaries like Rihanna and Keri Hilson would record (if they were Christian artistes). The lyrics of this song are beautiful and powerful and I’m proud of Jordin for letting God bless the body of Christ through her with such a song. Songs like ‘Beauty Mark’ would have fitted better on former projects like ‘Deeper Life’, but still goes beautifully with the album theme.

I was surprised to find ‘Desert Song’ (written and formerly covered by Brooke Fraser for Hillsong) on this album. But I tell you, Natalie grant’s version of the song is indeed beautifully unique and I love it. The good thing about this album is that the album theme runs through even on the worship tune (Your Great Name, Power of the Cross, You Deserve, Song to The King, Greatness of Our God, Desert Song). I hear someone say ‘oh it’s a worship album after all’ but how can we love others without realizing the love the Father has for us. Brace yourselves for the love revolution. I’m in on this one. Are you?