Virtue (Testimony) - Reviews

Virtue
Testimony

Virtue is back and they come packing with the production handles of Freddie Jerkins III for DarkChild Gospel.

Their latest offering, Testimony, on DarkChild Gospeland Integrity Gospel, keeps their legacy of relevant contemporary gospel alive. With twelve years of ministry under their belts, Virtue keeps it new and exciting with a combination of up-tempo grooves and beautiful ballads.

Toe tapping and hand clapping is the order of the day on “Get Up”. It’s a testimonial groove about the joy and strength of growing up experiencing praise in church and how that strength transcends and carries us through the years.

“Nothing Ever Mattered” is a floaty, dreamy mid-tempo ode to a God-sent friend and “The Sky Is The Limit/Sky’s The Limit” features the melody from the oft-sampled vintage Bobby Caldwell classic.

Worship ballad “Praises To You”, which features Martha Munizzi, pulls on each of the three girls’ vocal strengths. Vocal production by LaShawn “Big Shiz” Daniels and Hector Diaz is evident here where there is more focus on their individual voices than their harmonic strength. So strong is this offering that the producers deemed it worthy of a reprise.

The soulful balladry of “Holy, Holy” sweetly serenades the Lord and extols his glory and power. Additional piano by Joe “Flip” Wilson heightens the expression. Also strong on the ballad side is “Fall Again”.

Testimony

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In the groove department, title song “Testimony” stacks layers and layers on the track. Heavy percussive rhythms and sounds set the backdrop for encouragement to “tell it”, and is only the entrée to several jams on the project. “Give Him The Praise” and “Down with It” follow suit.

“Thank You Jesus” picks up the story-telling vibe in an R. Kelly kind of way — subject matter notwithstanding. Describing situation after situation where the Lord’s sovereign hand delivered them out of harm’s way, Virtue puts some virtue in the art of narrative song styling.

After many years, several Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award nominations and five album releases, this sister trio continues living their lives and telling the story. Testimony is a veritable contemporary expression of praise and worship, through the glass of growth and maturity. The nice thing for fans is that the true sweethearts of gospel bring their “glow” along with their voices.

As much as people like Virtue, they LOVE Ebony, Karima and Heather. And that is the icing on a certainly lovely cake.

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Production: Fred Jerkins album release date: June 20, 2006
DarkChild Gospel

— reviewed by Melanie Clark —