BF&A -- The Trip to NYC Must Have Made an Impression

Brain Free and Assurance, the southern gospel group that has taken the genre by storm is very good. It's a four-part harmony group (as is the custom and rule in southern gospel) that has above average singers at every "position." They just released a new album titled, "It's So God."

A little over a year ago they released an album recorded at Brooklyn Tabernacle--sort of an interdominational church that has become famous due to the choir they present to their congregation and the fact that Daywind Records has released a few albums by them. So all the really hip groups want to record at the church, which is fashionably (in these days) one of those non-mainline groups that caters to everyone who likes a good show short on meat and potatoes religion, but big on entertainment. Of course, that's not fair and my hangup of feeling that such churches pretty much do what they want without any rules taints my opinion of them. Nevertheless, the choir is good, the venue is hip and BF&A recorded their album to much acclaim. Out of it came "Long as I Got King Jesus," an old James Cleveland song. They even produced a video of the concert which is entertaining, not so much for the music, but for the mannerisms of the choir behind them.

I bring this up because I think BF&A liked their experience in NYC just a little too much. Why? One listen to thier new effort might give you a clue. From the outset, it sounds like the Brooklyn Tabernacle album without the choir. Lots of black influenced material, jazzy arrangements, and the feeling that you've heard this all before.

Not that this is not a good album. It is. Very much so. In fact, it's a permanent fixture on my iPod playlist. I can recommend the excellent, "Jesus Will Pick You Up." Led by bass Keith Plott, it mysterously sounds a whole lot like "King Jesus," but with a twist. Instead of Free (the tenor in the group and the group's owner for those who don't know) getting all the leads, it's Plott's versatle bass voice. That's a relief from past albums when Free's thin tenor voice usually filled the album with most of the solos (which is his right as owner, i guess). Free's voice to me is typical of a lot of tenors in southern gospel music. His voice is so high it doesn't sound natural--like he's singing in falsetto all the time. Give me Anthony Facello (formerly of Mercy's Mark), Wes Hampton (the new tenor for Gaither Vocal Band), John Rulapugh, or David Phelps. I like my tenors to be able to belt it out with a strong voice. But, that's just me. Sorry I got off track there.

Back to the subject at hand, "Man of Sorrows" is another winner as is "Under Cross Examination." These guys are talented, but do they deserve all the accolades? No. At times on this album, they sound suspiciously like Gold City of a few years ago. The individual talent is there, no doubt, but there doesn't seem to be enough original thought in the last two albums to grant them that "special" label. Individually, Free, Plott, Bill Shivers (lead), and Derrick Selph (great young baritone) are almost a dream group. If and when they pick material worthy of those voices (and I'm sorry--adding a bunch of black gospel styled songs to add to, with a few exceptions, pretty mediocre material), they may reach that level someday.

The good news is that this album (or CD or whatever you call them these days) is pretty good. But I listen to these guys and want for more. Maybe someday.