   |
|
 Youth Project As the follow-up to their well-received 2002 self-titled debut (see album review), this church choir sing their hearts out on Project Youth. There's much here that reminds of New Direction, and no wonder, for several of the same personnel are involved: Percy Gray Jr. and Jarel Gray helm production. The band fires burn hot (with Phillip Feaster as music director), and the vocals are excellent.  The 11-song live-recorded project (at their home: the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church) veers toward the urban, but with brass touches (from Boyz 'N Barry) and wonderfully gritty vocals, the album easily settles in a ontemporary church pocket.The album opens with Derrick Buckingham's guitar rhythms intro-ing "He Changed Me", written by Percy Gray. Altos and sopranos enter along with soloist Anthony Swain, setting the instrumental drive of the entire project. Percy Gray himself takes the mic on the gentle call-and-response, "Up There Far Away", looking with fervor to heaven. Also on the balladic tip is "You're Worthy", which features some great work from Brittany Newman on lead vocals. Her clear tone amidst piano, organ and choir lines is capturing. On "Help Me", Monica Agnew takes the mic and continues in a prayerful vein. But the bulk of the project relies on charge-ahead power to bring home their message. Joshua's Troop magnify God on "Let Mount Zion Rejoice", a rousing choir piece from Larry Varnado that puts the punctuation on praise. "I Need Him" offers up high octane funk, with the choir wending their way on top of it all. "My Soul Is A Witness", with its distinctive reliance on a modulating one-note chant motif, is hard to forget, as the choir joyfully takes elements found in traditional spirituals and turns it on its musical head. Joshua's Troop may only be five years in existence —but they're one of the brightest lights in youth choirs in the land.
Email This To A Friend New Haven Records — reviewed by Stan North —
All content in GospelFlava © copyright 2004. No information to be reprinted or re-broadcast from this site without the expressed written consent of GospelFlava.com. All rights reserved. |
            
|