Home Again Was Better [Originally posted on Amazon.com, June 7, 2005] I’m sorry, but 1996’s Home Again was way better than this album. The fault isn’t really New Edition’s, it’s the P. Diddy production that messed this one up. The songs on Home Again actually had melody and harmony. Some of the tracks on One

Could be a little less “Mary” and a little more Christmas [Originally posted to Amazon.com, December 13, 2006] Just one year after their third studio album, the Campbell sisters, Tina and Erica, better known as Mary Mary, are back with a collection of Christmas classics and contemporary holiday songs. Mary Mary’s signature powerhouse voices go

Virtue Appreciation Post IV: Free [Originally posted on my old Message in the Music blog, October 5, 2007] Even with three good albums behind them, I believe Virtue’s opus is their fourth album, Free.  Free is a declaration.  I believe every artist or group has a moment when their talent, artistry, and purpose culminate and

Better than Dangerously In Love [Originally posted on Amazon.com, June 6, 2005] When I first heard “1 Thing,” the high-pitched vocals made me cringe a little, yet the rhythm, music, and go-go beat reminded me of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.” However, after a few more listens to this album, it grew on me. There are

This is the Future of Gospel [Originally posted on Amazon.com, November 1, 2005] Words cannot express the way I feel about this artist and this CD. Kierra “Kiki” Sheard is true music minister. It is astounding that she is only a teenager, but this girl has more anointing in her little pinky than…well, you get

Mary Mary Coast along [Originally posted on Amazon.com, February 28, 2006] I remember when Mary Mary first came out. They were a breath of fresh air on the gospel music scene. Their music was contemporary, relevant, well-produced and vocally astonishing. But something has happened. Even though their vocal expression and songcraft have matured, their music

Feel the sunrise in Amel Larrieux’s Morning [Originally posted on Amazon.com, July 3, 2006] What a breath of fresh air this album is to me! I truly appreciate the simple elegance that this artist possesses. Larrieux’s sound is a mixture of Sade, Tracy Chapman, and Teedra Moses. Her vocals are sweet, contemplative, probing, and ethereal.