Reviewed by Ian Hayter

Jody Mc Brayer is best known as one of the powerful voices which make up multi-million selling vocal group Avalon, with whom he continues to work. This solo debut is born of a dramatic experience which forced Jody to reconsider his whole outlook on life – the sudden death of his father and spiritual mentor, Sonny McBrayer. The feelings he encountered and wanted to communicate through his music were too personal for a group, so Jody linked up with four top producers (Mark Hammond, Dan Mukala, Tedd T and Joe Priola) to produce the 10 songs on this deeply personal album. (Don’t be fooled by the photographs of London on the cover, the album was recorded in Nashville.) With influences from house trance to Latin salsa, this is a set that buzzes with conviction and sounds as polished as anything you’re likely to hear this year. Think Craig David and Enrique Iglesias – then go up a notch or two. Joined by Jadyn Strand (his new labelmate at Sparrow) on the Latin “Nunca Solo (Never Alone)” and by the Katinas on the thumping “Shake It”, Jody's great love of R’n’B and classic soul is clearly evident. There isn’t a bad track on this album and the infectious rhythms and catchy lyrics draw the listener into the personal journey of the singer, as well as conveying a powerful sense of the unconditional love of Christ (especially on the beautiful ballad “Love Can Break Your Fall”), which will surely be a huge inspirational hit. You won’t be wasting your money if you invest in this little gem.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.