STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 34528-13324 LABEL: Infinity 829569803927 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2008-02-16 RRP: £4.99
Reviewed by Ewan Jones
Kevin Max never fails to surprise, but at the moment, everything that he does, however left field, seems to turn to gold. After wooing more UK fans through his performances at last year's Greenbelt festival, Kevin's 'The Blood' is an unexpected but delightful addition to fans' collections. It is also perhaps some of his most accessible work to date; 10 songs centred around the Cross, not drawing exclusively from any one source of musical heritage though relying largely on African Americans' rich canon of songs. Stateside attention to the album will no doubt be bolstered by collaborations with Amy Grant and Chris Thile (American Idol) though it's his truly spine-tingling version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" where he duets soulfully with Mary Mary's Erica Campbell aided by a blistering blues guitarist and the intriguing new version of Prince's "The Cross" (where guests TobyMac and Michael Tait make this effectively a dc Talk track) which will get the most attention. At barely 35 minutes long, I couldn't help but feel that I was listening to the unexpected side-project of a genius rather than a hugely anticipated major release - but whatever the intention, 'The Blood' is a must have for Kevin Max fans and his most accessible album since Kevin, Toby and Michael went solo.
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not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed
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Posted by Alistair McDonald in Beautiful Berkshire, UK @ 12:57 on Apr 11 2008
This is a top CD! It's not my normal choice of music style,
nor what I'd expect from dc Talk, but the music is really
well done - the production is crisp and avoids cliches (I
think!). Mr Max's voice is powerful and intimate, leading to
a very calming listening experience.
The songs, however, are what it's about, and there are no
duffers here. Have a listen to the samples, if you like
them, you'll like the album.
This is a top CD! It's not my normal choice of music style, nor what I'd expect from dc Talk, but the music is really well done - the production is crisp and avoids cliches (I think!). Mr Max's voice is powerful and intimate, leading to a very calming listening experience.
The songs, however, are what it's about, and there are no duffers here. Have a listen to the samples, if you like them, you'll like the album.