Label: Crossroads
Producer: Doyle Lawson
Website: www.doylelawson.com

Song Titles: “I Know, I Know”, “Help Is On The Way”, “Eternity Has Two”, “One Of These Days”, “God Is Love”, “Land Of The Dying”, “I Won’t Have To Worry Anymore”, “When The Hand Of God Comes Down”, “The Black Sheep Returned To The Fold”, “I’m The Clay In Your Hands”, “Press On O Pilgrim, There Is Joy Ahead”, “What Shall I Do With Jesus”, “He Made It All Right”, “Keep Your Eyes On Jesus”

Click HERE to read the full review at Burke’s Brainwork.

Label: Hills Creek Music Group
Producer: Nick Bruno (with Scott Leduc producing Lead Vocals and Robbie Hiner co-producing Background Vocals)
Website: www.jackieleduc.com

Song Titles: “Not Myself These Days,” “When He Sees Me,” “Deliver Me From Myself,” “Everything’s A Possibility,” “I Surrender,” “Little Miss Understanding,” “Train Up This Child,” “Heart To Heart,” “Take Time To Pray,” and “I Will Trust You Lord”

Click HERE to read the Nutshell Analysis at Musicscribe.com.

Label: Crossroads
Producer: Roger Talley
Website: www.talleytrio.com

Song Titles: “Realms Of Glory Bright”, “I’ve Never Been Loved Like You”, “Winds Of This World”, “Calvary And Amazing Grace”, “I Will Sing Of My Redeemer”, “My Hope Is In The Lord”, “Comfort Me”, “Jesus You Are”, “Hallelujah Praise The Lamb”, “Life Goes On”

Click HERE to read the full review at Burke’s Brainwork.

Label: Daywind Records
Producer: Ricky Free
Website: www.brianfreeandassurance.com

Song Titles: “First Day In Heaven,” “What A Beautiful Day,” “Glory Road,” “He Looked Beyond My Fault,” “Mercy Built A Bridge,” “John The Revelator,” “Just A Little Talk With Jesus,” “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” “Sheltered In The Arms Of God,” and “Look For Me At Jesus’ Feet”

Click HERE to read the full review at Musicscribe.com.

Song Titles: “Put God Back In America,” “Farther Along,” “In Christ Alone,” “Child Of The King,” “That Same Jesus,” “Beulah Land,” “My God Is Real,” “Surely The Presence,” “I Just Stopped By,” “I Am Changed,” and “Old Time Medley”

Click HERE to read the full review at Musicscribe.com.

Rating:

Label: Mountain Heritage Records
Website: www.PrimitiveQuartet.com

Song Titles: “John Knew,” “The Precious One,” “Reaping From Fields I’ve Never Sown,” “Didn’t He Shine,” “Dear Jesus, I Love You,” “Someday,” “I Love To Walk With Jesus,” “He’s Still Been A Good God To Me,” “He Didn’t Stay Dead” and “Grace Is There”

Click HERE to read the full review at SouthernGospelCritique.com.

Label: Homeplace Records
Producers: The Eddie Crook Company
Song List: “I Can’t Help Smiling,” “Upon The Cross,” “Jesus Loves Me,” “I’ll Have A Mansion,” “I Want To See Jesus,” “Oh Lord, I Love You,” “Give Him My Heart,” “The Man I Need To Be,” “Feed My Sheep,” and “His Love”

Website: http://www.lakesidegospel.com

Contributers:

• Adam Edwards (Southern Gospel Critique)
• Daniel Mount (Southern Gospel Blog)
• David Bruce Murray (Musicscribe Blog)

Click “Read the Rest of This Entry” for the full review.

1. I Can’t Help Smiling

David Bruce Murray: This quick paced bluegrass song is a combination of good picking (especially Greg Blankenship’s mandolin), so-so vocal harmony, and average songwriting. This is a trend for the entire CD. The tempos do vary from one track to the next, but otherwise, when you’ve heard one of these songs, you’ve essentially heard them all.

Adam Edwards: This group can play. Good instrumentation is what bluegrass gospel is all about.

Daniel Mount: Nice lyric and vocal, excellent instrumentation. The group does a good job of planning the solo instrumentals so as to not get in one another’s way.

2. Upon The Cross

Adam: Musically, I like this song better than the previous track, but the verses seem to be missing something. I think some background vocals would have greatly enhanced this track.

Daniel: This song features the tenor. He seems to vocally emulate a Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Primitive Quartet tenor style. It’s a good song, one I could envision working just as well in a non-bluegrass arrangement as it does here.

3. Jesus Loves Me

Adam: I like the feel of this song, but it’s another that feels weak lyrically. The verses were good, but the chorus seemed too short. The message of the song was good.

4. I’ll Have A Mansion

Adam: This is one of my favorite tracks from the project. This song makes you tap your foot.

Daniel: This driving, energetic bluegrass number features the banjo and fiddle prominently. I might be revealing my ignorance of Quicksilver’s discography by saying this, since there is a chance they’ve already done the song, but if this song is original to this group it’s good enough that I could easily see an established bluegrass group picking it up.

5. I Want To See Jesus

DBM: This song stands out from the rest of the CD due to the fact that it’s a cappella. The pitches are more precise on this cut. Is it due to artificial pitch correction? Perhaps. It’s just puzzling why the same level of attention wasn’t given to the harmonies on other cuts. If instruments had been added to this vocal arrangement to cover up some of the pitch range issues, it would have been a stand out track for this CD.

Adam: One of the more enjoyable tracks from the project. A cappella numbers seem to be a bluegrass standard and Lakeside doesn’t disappoint with this cut. Good song.

6. Oh Lord, I Love You

Adam: I really like the slap bass on the intro to this song. That grabbed my attention first thing. Musically, this song is great but weak vocals and lyrics really detract from this song.

7. Give Him My Heart

DBM: “Give Him My Heart” slows down the pace and adds a shaker sound for a percussion element. Unfortunately, the lyrics are awkward…too many syllables for some phrases, and predictable rhymes.

Adam: OK song. Not a stand-out track on this project, but the vocalist has a pleasing tone to his voice.

Daniel: I’m guessing this might be the baritone. Unlike the tenor and lead, he evidently spends his practice sessions working more on developing a pleasant tone then to seeing how high he can sing…and it shows.

8. The Man I Need To Be

Adam: Everyone except for the bass singer takes the lead on this song. The upbeat flow to this song is catchy.

Daniel: An enjoyable track.

9. Feed My Sheep

DBM: Again, an otherwise good track suffers from mediocre and sometimes confusing lyrics. The opening verse is:
“Christ is speaking. ‘Who have ears let them hear. Go into this world and feed my sheep.’ Precious is his flock whom he loves so dear, that he laid down His life through His blood, sweat and tears.” The second verse ends with, “When you meet them will you feed them? My loving word with them please share, so they’ll know me when they see me when they meet me in the air.”

There’s more to writing a song than simply finding phrases that rhyme.

Adam: When I first saw the title of the song, I was hoping that this group was redoing the song of the same title that the Primitive quartet recorded 25+ years ago. To say this song was a disappointment was an understatement. It’s an OK song but it was my least favorite from the project.

10. His Love

DBM: The minor key on this cut is a nice touch, the instrumental breaks are effective, and the songwriting quality is higher than what we’ve heard up to this point. All in all, “His Love” is a good closing number for From Our Heart.

Adam: I hope that Lakeside singles this song. It sounds like they saved the best track for last. I love the raspy tone on the lead vocals and the musicianship stands out on this track. Great finish to the album!

Daniel: I agree with David and Adam - this song is one of the project’s highlights.

Summary

DBM: Like many bluegrass groups, Lakeside’s greatest strength is their musicianship. If you appreciate good picking, you’ll want to give this CD a few spins. On some spots, I did notice that they weren’t entirely in sync, but overall, these guys are good players…both on individual breakout solos and as an ensemble. The group’s weaknesses lie in the areas of singing quality (harmonizing in particular) and songwriting. Both of these facets are decent, but could stand improvement. Musically, there’s some interesting things going on, but the lyrics of these songs aren’t particularly memorable. The raw talent is there, but a more involved producer helping the group find their own voice with more original songs would have been a major plus. My rating for From Our Heart is 3 Stars.

Adam: This was my first exposure to Lakeside. These guys are good musicians and I imagine that in a live setting, they are quite enjoyable. From Our Heart is a fairly strong effort from the group. I would like to see them in concert sometime. My rating for this project is 3.5 stars.

Daniel: While this project might not fall on a short list of this year’s “must buys,” many fans of bluegrass Gospel will enjoy it.

Label: Song Garden Music Group
Song List: “At Calvary,” “Living For Jesus,” “The Love Of God,” “Redeemed,” “Unclouded Day,” “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” “Higher Ground,” “Old Rugged Cross,” “Are You Washed In The Blood,” and “Blessed Assurance”

Website: http://www.paidinfull.net

Contributers:

• Wes Burke (Burke’s Brainwork)
• Brandon Coomer (Coomer Cove)
• Daniel Mount (Southern Gospel Blog)
• Aaron Swain (Swain’s Musings)

Click “Read the Rest of This Entry” for the full review.

1. At Calvary
Aaron Swain: The album opens up with an acoustic guitar-driven rendition of the old hymn. It actually sounds like a bluegrass group, which I don’t mind at all! It brought to mind the image of three friends on a back porch somewhere “a-swingin’ and a-singin’”, much in the style of an Andy Griffith Show episode. Good way to open up the album.

Wes Burke: Nice up-tempo acoustic arrangement of this track. Nothing flashy, but some smooth vocals here.

Daniel Mount: A bluegrass-tinged soundtrack and a tight blend make this one of the project’s most enjoyable tracks.

2. Living For Jesus
Aaron: The album’s second cut is another guitar driven song, but with more a country tinge to it. The tempo is far too slow for my taste; I find myself wanting to hit the “up-tempo” arrow that you find on some keyboards.

Wes: I’ll disagree with Aaron here. I kinda like this song, they have created a new arrangement, and changed the melody of the hymn somewhat to fit the arrangement. The tempo is actually probably a little faster than how we traditionally do this hymn. Pretty solid cut.

Daniel: I’m with Wes; I didn’t find the tempo too slow. It is just right.

3. The Love Of God
Aaron: Another bluegrassy song, which looks to be the theme off this album thus far. One of the better renditions I’ve heard of this hymn.

Wes: Continues the mountain gospel theme so far on the recording. Not bad at all.

Daniel: This is one of my favorite tracks from the project. For some reason, though, it seems like adding in the song’s bass part - which happens to be one of the nicest bass parts I’ve heard - would have pushed it up another notch. Even though I’m not a bass and typically sing along with the baritone or tenor, I found myself humming and then singing that missing part.

Brandon Coomer: This is the first song to feature the group’s new tenor, Brock White.

4. Redeemed
Aaron: A slowed down version of the hymn that sounds sort of like an arrangement the Gaither Vocal Band would do. It’s an OK rendition, but nothing that particularly makes me want to go back and listen again.

Wes: I don’t hear the GVB influence that Aaron does, but this is a decent cut. I do like the use of unison on the last verse. The tempo to me is ok, it may be slowed down a little bit, but not very much.

5. Unclouded Day
Aaron: The album picks up with a barn-burner on this track. I love the fast songs, and the guitars and fiddles are to good effect.

Wes: This is a good version of this song. I like this better than the version Ricky Atkinson and Compassion did on their latest CD. The best cut on the album.

6. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Aaron: Another far too slow arrangement. I mean, how much can you hold out each phrase? Didn’t like this one at all.

Wes: I’m not so sure that the tempo is the problem here. The tempo actually seems to be fine, but they’ve really broadened out the vocal phrasing. Some really nice harmony and vocals are brought down by an arrangement that is too broad throughout the entire song and hence makes the song sound like it is dragging.

Daniel: While it wouldn’t have hurt the track if the tempo had been picked up a little, I didn’t mind this pace. I haven’t heard a group do the song quite this way before, so I have to give them credit for experimenting here.

7. Higher Ground
Aaron: A decent rockabilly arrangement. Kind of got too twangy on the chorus, though.

Wes: This is fairly similar to the arrangement Ponder, Sykes, and Wright did a while back. Decent cut, but just a little too twangy for me, as well. I agree with Aaron here.

Brandon: Woody Wright is a big influence on the group, so it isn’t surprising for them to record something similar sounding to Ponder, Sykes, and Wright. I’m not usually a big fan of the “twang,” but I think this is kind of catchy.

8. Old Rugged Cross
Aaron: A slow rendition, but on this song, it makes it a bit more powerful to have it slow. This is an OK track.

Wes: This is an decent version of the song, but the arrangement is rather bland.

9. Are You Washed In The Blood
Aaron: A nice bluegass version of this song. Just the right tempo, and a decent cut.

Wes: Decent uptempo cut on this song. Not really fond of the ending, but it’s a decent enough cut.

Daniel: The bluegrass influences that are somewhat subdued on some of the other tracks come out in full force here for an enjoyable banjo and fiddle-led arrangement.

Brandon: I guess it is because I’m not a bluegrass fan, but I would not call the bluegrass influence on this project “subdued”. To me, it is pretty much right out front. I thought this was a very good track until the ending, which kind of killed it for me.

10. Blessed Assurance
Aaron: The album closes out with yet another slow song. It’s a very quiet tune, and it’s a nice way to finish.

Wes: Now this song works with the acoustic sound. It really gives them a chance to showcase their blend. One of the better cuts on the album.

Brandon: I love this song and this arrangement is a great way to end the project.

Summary

Aaron: The latest table project from 2007’s Horizon Group Of The Year is by no means a bad project, but it’s not good either. For example, many of the arrangements of these old songs seemed to drag on and on. I am not familiar with Paid In Full’s major releases, but from what I remember from their NQC mainstage performance, this album is not a good representation of how good the group is.

Wes: This is a solid 3 star recording. The acoustic, mountain gospel style is maintained throughout, and places the emphasis more on Paid In Full’s smooth blend and harmonies. This is a very safe project, in that there is nothing out of the ordinary in the arrangements. It’s just solid singing all the way through on an enjoyable project. The only downside to this, however, is that all the songs start sounding alike long about track 4 or so. Paid In Full definitely has the vocal ability to do more. This is pretty standard fare for a table project, but I’m looking more forward to reviewing a new mainline release from them, and hearing them challenge themselves a bit more musically. Daniel makes a good point in his summary about this disc definitely fulfilling its purpose as a table project. There’s nothing here that knocks your socks off, but nothing that has you reaching for the skip button, either. It’s just a good, solid project.

Daniel: Too often, mainline releases are driven by churning out radio-friendly tunes or following standard formulas for a big ballad or patriotic number. Free from those pressures, Paid in Full turned out an album that is just simply enjoyable—the kind you put in the CD player when you want to kick back in the recliner on a Sunday afternoon reading a good book or watching the clouds go by. This album is exactly what a table project should be.

Brandon: I’ve kept my individual track comments to a minimum, because most of what I have to say is about the project has a whole. From the other contributors’ comments, I gather that they were not expecting the bluegrass/mountain/acoustic feel found on this project. This project is the third in Paid In Full’s “Down Home” series of table projects (Sounds Of The Season and Sounds Of Home are the other releases). The “Down Home” series features more of the bluegrass acoustic feel than the group’s mainline recordings. While I am a huge fan of Paid In Full, I am not a big fan of this style of music. However, this project excites me because, from what the other contributors have written, the group pulls off what I believe they hoped to accomplish. The “Down Home” series isn’t supposed to be big budget recordings with fancy arrangements and hit singles. The project is arranged to let the lyrics and vocals take center stage. I love what Aaron said about the first track, “It brought to mind the image of three friends on a back porch somewhere “a-swingin’ and a-singin.” I think that is part of the charm of the project. Does this project showcase Paid In Full at their best? No, I don’t feel that it does, but even if you don’t enjoy the mountain/acoustic style of music presented here, the project is an enjoyable one.

Label: Independent
Producers: Glen A. Tabor III and Brothers Forever
Song List: “I Feel A Blessing Coming On,” “That’s Good Enough (Gospel Singer Wannabe),” “I Can’t Forget The Day,” “Be Alright,” “Whenever I Speak His Name,” “More Than I Know,” “Showers Of Blessings,” “It’s Better,” “I Am Him,” “More Than That,” and “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”

Website: http://www.brothersforever.net

Contributers:

• Brandon Coomer (Coomer Cove)
• Daniel Mount (Southern Gospel Blog)
• Aaron Swain (Swain’s Musings)

Click “Read the Rest of This Entry” for the full review.

1. I Feel A Blessing Coming On

Aaron Swain: The project opens up with a catchy song that reminds me of something Three Bridges or Valor would do. I do believe I keep hearing a bass vocalist in the song, but since these guys are a trio, I must be hearing things! The first featured singer has a very Jason Morales-esque voice. This song had me singing along from the get-go and it’s been stuck in my head for a while now

Daniel Mount: Aaron’s ears aren’t playing tricks on him. Buford Light was the group’s bass singer until February 2008, when he retired due to health problems. This is a strong track that brings Valor or even the Gaither Vocal Band to mind.

Brandon Coomer: I agree with both you. The song catches your attention and is very enjoyable. As for the sound reminding me of another group, I’d lean towards Aaron’s comparison to the original lineup of Three Bridges. It makes a great start to the project.

2. That’s Good Enough (Gospel Singer Wannabe)

Aaron: I must admit, seeing the title of this track had me thinking it was going to be a fun little parody song. I was surprised by the song; it has a very interesting message that says God is pleased with whoever sings to Him, no matter if they’re “wannabe’s” or not, and thank God it’s not our talent that saves us. Sounds like something straight off of an Austin’s Bridge songlist.

Brandon: I can’t decide if this song is more an anthem for all the weekend warriors that visit local churches or a song that talks about one of the biggest ills of southern gospel music (groups of limited ability not working to get better, thinking “that’s good enough”).

3. I Can’t Forget The Day

Aaron: I believe this song is the group’s current radio single, and while it is a nice song, it never really grabbed my attention.

Daniel: Perhaps it was chosen as a radio single since its sound depends less on the bass’s vocals than a song like track 1, which might be a better song but be ruled out for that question.

4. Be Alright

Aaron: This song sounds like it would belong on a Gaither Vocal Band project as a Guy Penrod feature. Cool song, and the GVB style definitely shows on the chorus. I’m hearing that bass singer again!

5. Whenever I Speak His Name

Aaron: My mind travels to a 70s-80s Imperials project with this song. Definitely some progressive melody going on here, to good effect.

Wes: Good call Aaron. This song is found on 1979’s //Heed The Call// album, with Russ Taff singing the lead. Great song. These guys do it justice, too.

Brandon: Thanks for the information, Wes. Although the chorus is a little repetitive, I enjoy this song a lot. It may not be the best song, but it is one of my favorites on the project.

6. More Than I Know

Aaron: A nice little country ballad for a change of pace, and also sounds like a GVB-style song. I keep going back to this song; it didn’t really catch on the first time I heard it, but it’s growing on me.

Daniel: This relaxed, mellow track is an enjoyable interlude, not to mention being one of the best songs on the project.

Brandon: I completely agree with Daniel. This really might be the best song found here. This is the first track that really slows down enough to let you listen to the message and the understated instrumentation is a great change of pace from the majority of the project.

7. Showers Of Blessings

Aaron: I thought this would be a rendition of the hymn, but I was surprised once again. I have a feeling I’ve heard this song somewhere before, but I can’t place it…

Daniel: Perhaps part of what rings a bell is its lyric similarity to Palmetto State Quartet’s “Living in the Sunlight” from their 2005 //When it Pours God Reigns// project. That song’s chorus begins with the lines: “Well, I’m living in the sunlight of His Love / Feasting on the Manna from above.” Whether despite or because of the lyrical resemblance to the Palmetto State track, this is a nice song.

Brandon: When I first listened to this track, I really didn’t want to like this song. After listening to it several times, it grew on me. It is fun, very catchy track.

8. It’s Better

Aaron: Wasn’t impressed by this song at all. Perhaps it was the tempo, or just the style it was in, but whatever the reason, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Brandon: Several groups have started having a very noticeable country influence in their instrumentation the last few years. A little of that can be a very welcomed development. Sometimes though, that influence can be taken too far. I believe this track is an example of this.

9. I Am Him

Aaron: A George Strait-ish ballad. Very slow, but it’s not so bad after a couple times of listening to it.

Daniel: The instrumentation is nicely done, particularly the mandolin.

Brandon: Although the acoustic instrumentation reminds me of track 6, this isn’t nearly as strong as the earlier song.

10. More Than That

Aaron: The latter part of this album seems to be all ballads. Probably would have liked this song better if it had been placed somewhere other than right after a similarly slow song.

11. The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power

Aaron: This was listed as a bonus track, and I almost jumped out of my seat when I heard the deep bass voice featured. A bit heavy on the vibrato, so that kind of ruined it for me.

Daniel: This was probably Buford Light, their bass at the time of the project’s release. It’s a nice enough track that they probably decided it was worth keeping on the project, even with the group now a trio.

Brandon: Honestly, I question the inclusion of this track. Both the group and Buford Light are better than this track illustrates. I also prefer arrangements of this song that feature the tenor.

Summary

Aaron: All in all, it’s a nice project, but nothing that blew me away. I’m sure these guys will get better with time, as they are already decent vocally. Not a big fan of some of the song selection, but this project is a listenable one. Not a must-have, but definitely has some good songs.

Daniel: Certainly, from time to time, this project has moments that show what the group could be. But I don’t mean that to take anything away from what the group is now; this is an enjoyable, well-done project.

Brandon: I agree with the others that this project has its moments, both good and bad. There is definitely something to build on here. If the group can pick out the strong points of this project and develop that sound in the future, I’ll be excited to hear the results.

Label: Daywind Records
Producer: Steve Mauldin
Website: www.legacyfive.com

Song Titles: “In A Million Years,” “The Moment I Get Up There,” “Goin’ Home Day,” “Hello After Goodbye,” “Every Morning,” “God Will Go,” “What Faith Does,” “Heavenly Signs,” “Roll On,” “Take It To The Cross,” and “God’s Been Good”

Click HERE to read the full review at Musicscribe.com.