The McClurkin Project (We Praise You) - Reviews

The McClurkin Project
We Praise You

The McClurkins serve up family-style gospel with their sophomore project, We Praise You, featuring Pastor Donnie McClurkin and sisters Olivia, Cheri, Tanya McClurkin, and Andrea McClurkin-Mellini.

The McClurkins got their start when a teenaged Donnie pulled his sisters along with family friends to form Donnie McClurkin and The McClurkin Singers in 1979. That group morphed into the legendary New York Restoration Choir, which McClurkin led into its first recording contract in the late eighties. The family reassembled in 1999 for the debut recording, The McClurkin Project and have left audiences hungry until We Praise You. Thankfully for fans, the wait is over.

Recorded live before a packed house in Queens, NY, We Praise You highlights the intuitive vocal synergy that being family brings to the musical table.

Album titler “We Praise You” is a hot single that is blazing radio thanks to its sticky hook and driving melody. Lead singer and writer Andrea McClurkin-Mellini wails to the rafters, building to a high-intensity close that begs for (and delivers) a generous reprise.

We Praise You

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“As Long As There’s You” considers the rewards we are offered as a benefit of our salvation. The song states that pearly gates and streets of gold aside, seeing His face is paramount. Heavy percussive elements and an infectious vamp spin to the end. With a knack for writing instant classics, McClurkin may just have another one on his hands.

A glimpse at a harsh reality, “In The News Today” features a musical projection of what a news broadcast might sound like following the rapture.

Olivia McClurkin takes front and center on the equally energetic “You Are An Awesome God,” co-written with her daughter, Crystal Fythe. She also pens the delicate ballad “Touch Me.”

Songs with reggae flava and songs with Spanish rhythmic tracks all make for a broad reaching project. Even a spin on Thomas Dorsey’s classic “Precious Lord” is given a facelift as it is injected with some R&B and jazz inflections.

Family-sized portions of family-synched vocals, The McClurkin Project's We Praise You is a winner, hands down.

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Production: Donnie McClurkin album release date: March 13, 2007
GospoCentric Records

— reviewed by Melanie Clark —