Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

It's been a while since we've had something from Helen Baylor and I'm pleased to report that the lady's pipes are in fine fettle on this album, which is the work of three producers, Bill Maxwell, Mark Baldwin and Chris Harris. Stylistically it's predominantly soul, with the occasional R&B groove and one or two ballads; Bob Carlisle helps Helen lay down a funky beat on "Harambee", which means, apparently, "push together", to make all the walls that divide humanity come tumbling down; Marvin Winans co-stars on "My Everything", one of the ballads; and an interloper appears in the shape of the Holland-Dozier-Holland Motown classic "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", with a few words changed here and there to make it "Christian." I'm not convinced, nor is it convincing. Far better is "Take It Up", a bright and bouncy dance track driven along by Abe Laboriel's pumping bass and Bill Maxwell's drums (Koinonia lives!), and some hot guitar licks from Tony Maiden. When Helen needs to be cool and sassy, she does it with ease; the ballads are more of an acquired taste, but on the whole, the material gives her plenty of room to stretch those gorgeous tonsils and the end result is another quality product from one of the classiest of class acts in Christian soul.

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