Dorinda Clark-Cole (Take It Back) - Reviews

Dorinda Clark-Cole
Take It Back

The Rose of Gospel does it again! On her third solo project, Dorinda Clark-Cole loses no ground, opting instead to gain momentum in continuing the legacy of her late mother Dr. Mattie Moss Clark and in leaving an indelible mark together with her sisters.

On Take It Back, produced by Alex "Asaph" Ward and a crew of delectable writers that includes the likes of John P. Kee, Carnell Murrell and Shawn McLemore, the magic is evident.

McLemore's choir-backed "Make Me Real" features a subtle dance between Clark-Cole's vocal and the guitar voice of Jonathan Dubose. And "Praise Your Way Out", co-written by Clark and Ward peels the choir back to a small group sound and encourages the listener to not get stuck and press your way through.

PAJAM puts its certification on the uptempo "Return". Thick with the patented PAJAM sound and percussion, the song reminds us that we can always come back to God. Sister Karen and cousin J. Moss join in on the background vocals.

Take It Back

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The family reunion continues on "It's OK". Dorinda's daughter Nikkia joins in along with nieces Angelyn and recording artist Kierra "Kiki" Sheard on the urban contemporary slow groove.

And continuing on the slow tip is "Yesterday", written by writer extraordinaire Murrell. Karen and Dorinda stack the background vocals for that Clark Sisters sound. Lloyd Barry's Nashville String Machine softens the already sweeping song.

Dorinda has always distinguished herself as a preacher, but of course that's in between or after her signature riffs and scats. On "Faithful" we get a little taste of both.

Take It Back is a great palate of songs with strong production and some of the best musicians in the business, including Maurice Fitzgerald, Tim Mole, Andrew Gouche, Chris Johnson, Nissan Stewart, Rick Watford, Chris Kee, Miche Waller, and Doobie Powell, just to name a few (no really!).

Add to that one seasoned and still fresh voice and you've got yourself a winner of an album that will more than satisfy the legion of fans —and kickstart the introduction of more their number.

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Production: Alex Asaph Ward album release date: April 15, 2008
Gospo Centric Records / Zomba Gospel

— reviewed by Melanie Clark and Stan North —