Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

A mix of hip-hop, gospel and soul on this debut by David, a native of Columbus, Ohio, and at first sight, it's a generous package, 17 tracks and 50 minutes playing time, says the CD player readout. But this is a tad misleading, because some of those tracks are effects-laden spoken montages over music beds, which disrupts the listening experience somewhat; the "Lord's Prayer" is also added to the mix, as well as a spoken altar call right at the end, which may strike some as rather cheesy but others will be touched by the power of David's soulful delivery. In fact, this album takes worship music into a whole new dimension and the contemporary R&B vibe of "Quality Time", "Forgiveness" and "Altar Call" has ensured that all have been picked for exposure on the Cross Rhythms Verticality radio programme. Another gem is "Shout Praises" which chugs cheerfully along with plenty of handclaps and righteous harmonies. Finally, cut "I Need You" stands up even on non-worship radio programmes. A hugely impressive debut.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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