CD Review: "Right Now" (Old Paths Quartet)

Battle Stand - Love the choice of instruments, particularly the banjo and drums. Not as fast as some of the others, but nearly as good. 5 stars

He's My Song - This is a very slow and peaceful song. I love the first part of the chorus that goes "He's my song, when I don't feel like singing." (words in italics indicate the rest of the group joining the soloist) 4.5 stars

Woke Up This Morning - Very fast and fun, great harmony, very smooth. The Old Paths have a talented bass singer. This song should bring down the house in a concert setting. 5 stars

Everlasting Yes - This is a good song, but I just wonder what it would sound like with a big orchestra. It could get a little draggy if you're not in the right mood. 4.5-5 stars



I Know My God Can Do It - Once again, very fast and fun. Great beat, lots of electric guitars. A bit more of a contemporary feel while still staying true to the Southern Gospel sound. 4 stars

I'm Saved - At first, I listened mainly to the fast songs on this album. But going back and re-listening to the whole thing so I could write this review, I was kind of surprised when I found that the slow songs were a LOT better than I had thought they were! I love the chorus on this song. "I'm saved, and from the rooftops I'll shout it, his grace has been sufficient for me..." 5 stars for the chorus

When It All Started Happening - Dedicated SoGo fans will remember this song from the album "Something's Happening" by Mercy's Mark. Both renditions are good, though the original probably is a bit better soundtrack-wise. I think MM's version was more brassy. I can understand a lot more of the lyrics in this version though! In the previous, I couldn't make out everything that was being sung. 4 stars

The Blood On My Hands - Once again, the chorus won me over for this song. Otherwise not quite as good as the others. 4-5 stars

God's Great - "God's been so good, but on second thought, God's been great." This is a nice medium-paced song with an interesting twist on an old message. 3.5 stars

Right Now - This song gets on my nerves. It's super fast, to the point of being annoying (IMHO). Some might even say that it seems to be teaching a prosperity gospel message. Right now if we believe, we'll have joy and peace, and lots of blessings. But of course, that's not always the case. While Christian's should have peace knowing that they're going to Heaven, life isn't always a big party with no sorrow or sadness. To be fair, the encore is a little fun, especially with the piano. 2 stars

Comments:
Wow. The Old Paths didn't disappoint with this album. They have an excellent sound as a quartet, and I think they're currently one of my favorite all-male groups. I've heard some individual songs from this group before ("He Chose the Tree," "He's the Foundation," ect.) but I think this is the first full project I've listened to.

They chose a country-ish/Southern Gospel feeling. I'm not sure if I heard any brass instruments. Despite the lack of orchestration, it was still an excellent album, but I think an orchestra could have added, especially to some of the slower songs. Just a note for the group to consider in the future.

There's only one or two songs that I didn't really like. I would strongly recommend this album (so far) as one of the best projects of 2012.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Favorite Songs: I liked nearly all of the songs. I did not like "Right Now." My other least favorites (though they were not bad) were "God's Great" and "I Know My God Can Do It."
Main Styles: Country, Southern Gospel

Review copy provided by Crossroads Records.