Best Albums of 2012

Here are my favorite albums that were recorded in 2012. What were your favorites?

Brian Free & Assurance - Nothing But Love
Favorite Tracks: I Want to Be That Man, I Will Be Praying, Guard Your Heart, If the Lord Says Do It, It's Quite a Valley
Style: Contemporary, Progressive
Comments: Traditional SoGo fans probably won't like this album, but if you like musical diversity, Nothing But Love is a great project with a great selection of songs.

Legacy Five - Count Your Blessings
Favorite Tracks: Blood Washed Band, I Call You Faithful, It Is No Secret, Heaven Came Down
Style: Southern Gospel, Traditional
Comments: The audio quality on this CD was much better than the quality of L5's last album A Wonderful Life. On another note, although it will probably take long-time fans a while to get over Glenn Dustin's departure, Matt Fouch fits in just fine.

Lefevre Quartet - But For the Cross
Favorite Tracks: But For the Cross, I'm So Saved, The Wedding Song, Put It Right There
Style: Mixed (both progressive and Southern Gospel style songs)
Comments: This CD has something for everybody. I really enjoyed most of the songs, and I think this group deserves more attention.

Mark Trammell Quartet - Lifetime
Favorite Tracks: Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah, I Sing the Mighty Power, Meet Me Over On the Other Side
Style: Traditional, Southern Gospel
Comments: The huge orchestrations arranged by Lari Goss won me over to this project.


 

CD Review: "But For the Cross" (Lefevre Quartet)

But For the Cross - Sometimes you can tell that a song is going to be good before you even finish listening to the intro. That’s how this song is. It has a beautiful orchestral opening. It’s paced rather nicely I think - not slow enough to be thought of as a ballad, but not fast like a “barn burner.” The song has a great message, and asks the question “where would I be but for the cross?”

Come and See - This song recounts two of Jesus’ miracles. The first verse tells of his raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead and the second of Lazarus’s resurrection. The chorus is sung from first person view (first by the daughter, then by Lazarus obviously), and urges the listener to come and see what Jesus did instead of just taking their word as proof.

I’m So Saved - This song is, I believe, the first radio single from But For the Cross. It’s a fun up-tempo song that should be pretty successful both on the radio and in a concert setting.

The Wedding Song - There are a couple of Southern Gospel “wedding” songs that have been recorded over the years. “Wedding Music,” (Cathedrals and others) and “Here Comes the Bride” (Kingsmen) immediately come to my mind. “The Wedding Song” is a nice addition to the “wedding” song catalog. It’s the best song in this theme that I have heard so far. The music is what brought it to first place in my mind. It has a fast progressive style. 

Put It Right There - This song tells of a drug-addicted guy who comes to his father and confesses his addiction. His dad reaches for the drugs and says:

Put it right there in the palm of my hand, I know it’s gonna hurt but trust me to the end

You will be free and I will be there, together we will stand looking back at what you fear.

I’m reaching out my hand, I’ll do anything I can, put it right there.

The second verse is about Jesus being crucified. The words speculate on what Jesus said as the soldiers picked up the spikes to nail into his hands, and that naturally leads into the chorus. Electric guitars and a banjo create a strong country sound, while the drum track lends a bit of a contemporary feeling.

We Are the Church - This is another fun fast song, rather similar in tone to “Standing On the Daily Promises” and “I’m So Saved” in that it’s not a very “serious” song. It has more of a fun tone than some of the other songs. Also, I love the hymn bridge insertion of “The Solid Rock.” Some people may not care to hear “mini-hymns” put right in the middle of new songs, but I like them!

Saved By the Blood - The Old Paths Quartet recorded this previously on Wonderful Life. (2010) This version is better, in my opinion.

The Blessed Hope  - This song provides to the listener some relief from the fast tempo that dominates most of the CD. It’s not a stand-out song, but it’s not bad either.

I’ll Let You Lead Me - This is a fun, brassy,  mid-tempo number led by Paul Harkey. I think it sounds like a song that Ernie Haase & Signature Sound would do, at least stylistically.

Standing On the Daily Promises - I think this song will get overlooked. It’s a shame too, because it’s really a good fun song. It just doesn’t stand as tall as “Put It Right There” or “I’m So Saved.”

Comments:

I was expecting good things from this album ever since hearing several songs on Spotify. I got a little nervous the day my copy arrived, thinking “can this really be as good as I’m hoping?” I was not disappointed!

If there was a singular element that “made” this album, I’d say it would have to be the music. The album actually credits three producers, Tre’ Corley, Paul Corley, and Rick Sandidge. The orchestration was second to none as well as all the other instrumental elements.

Along with the great soundtrack, the group had a great song selection. The Lefevre Quartet isn’t a name that’s as widely known as say Legacy Five or the Gaithers, but I think they deserve a lot more attention, especially if they keep producing albums that are as good as this one was. 

 

But For the Cross is a five-star album deserving of a place in any Gospel music fan’s CD player.

CD Rating: 5/5 stars

Average Song Rating: 4/5 stars

Favorite Songs: “But For the Cross,” “The Wedding Song,” “We Are the Church,” “Put It Right There”

Review copy provided by Activate Records