Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

This showcase of nine classic covers and two original songs is a benchmark of David's singing career, and the track listing/instrumentation implies a set list for candidates on America's Got Talent! David, one-time Gaither Vocal Band singer and now a top CCM star, has a huge vocal range and a control of delivery that allows him to belt out Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is" one minute and then almost whisper on "Moonlight" while retaining a wonderfully rich timbre. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to massively overload the arrangements with instrumentation whereas more restraint in production would have allowed David's voice to shine more. Sometimes though the orchestral embellishments work, as in "End Of The Line" which sounds as if it was written for a Bond film, complete with twanging guitar. "Higher" is a melding of dance and orchestral styles that doesn't work too well - sounds a bit too like 'Hooked On Classics' to be taken seriously - while the mastering has somewhat massacred most of the songs in the quest for the loudest record, at the expense of dynamic variation. Plus, one could question David even tackling "Nessun Dorma" - he is no Pavarotti. All in all though, despite the weak spots, this album does what it sets out to do and showcases an exceptional vocal stylist even if an album of mainstream song covers can sometimes veer dangerously close to karaoke.

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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