Of the hundreds of new artists who make their way to the GMWA stage each year, relatively few manage to capture long-lasting attention. Stunning the Gospel ear in 1999 in New Orleans was The Wright Family, and staying power seems probable.

Consisting of five siblings and four first cousins, and ranging in age from 16 to 28, this tight-knit Andrews, South Carolina based family ensemble bring it ALL to the table. Their deeply rooted church background is evident in their material, having grown up singing in their parents’ church —Bishop Cardell Wright and Evangelist Evelyn Wright— in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. To say that they are self-sufficient would be an understatement, since the entire project, including writing and production, originates from their own creativity. Even their label (WrightSeed) is family owned.

With the entire album richly soaked in soulful vocals, cuts range from worship-driven ballads to beat-heavy grooves. “Your Name” grabs attention as a mid-tempo song featuring the leads of Jeremy Wright and Kee-Kee Flagler, with a flowing, syncopated chorus underneath. Flagler is also featured as lead on the urban-inflected “I Am Gonna Wait”, a song that also includes a relevant rap segment cameo from Mr. Dev’yon. The groove is steady.

Another hot standout is “I Don’t Know What U Come To Do”, which is also presented as a remixed version. Tight vocals characterize “If It Wasn’t For Your Love”, which is one of a number of contemporary praise ballads on the project. In fact, true to the title of the album, a tone of praise runs deeply through every one of the eleven tracks.

With lots of anointed sizzle, plenty of praise, and the evident beauty of a family working together for the glory of God, adding In Praise to your collection would be 'to do the Wright thing'.