The Kingdom Heirs have a proven track record of making great recordings and giving their fans exactly what they want. This recording is no exception as they continue to churn out solid, Southern Gospel Quartet music.
Traditional quartet sounds abound with the traditional sounding “On the Gloryland Way”, which more than adequately sets the tone for the recording. Penned by songwriting extraordinaire, Dianne Wilkerson, this is the first of nine songs written or co-written by her. Other memorable Wilkerson songs include the Statesmen sounding “Help me Lord” (which features an excellent performance by bass singer, Jeff Chapman in his upper register), the progressive “Fire Away” (which would be a great radio song), the bluesy “Steppin’ on the Stars” and the title song, “When You Look at Me”, which is quite a bit different for Dianne Wilkinson writings and is a highlight of the recording for me. I think it’s the simplicity of the music and the tremendous message in this song that sets it apart from the rest of the songs.
Rodney Griffin penned the exciting “He Locked the Gates”, which has done very well for the Kingdom Heirs, while “The Empty Tomb Says it All”, penned by Daryl Petersheim, winner of the 1st Annual Songwriters Search of 2008, closes out the recording.
The Kingdom Heirs are one of the most solid sounding male quartets singing today. While this is a great recording, it seems to fall into a rut at times and sound too similar to other recordings the Kingdom Heirs have released. Too many songs sound the same, and lack spontaneity. Artists can remain strong and consistent while being fresh and spontaneous. Embedded throughout the recording though, are songs that are gems and are true works of art, not just musically but lyrically as well. I wasn’t too impressed with the cover work…it bares a resemblance to the Kinsmen’s 2001 release I Will, which I thought was a bit cheesy and unimaginative. With that said, overall this is a great recording and one of the top releases for 2009.
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Written: 01/06/2010
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Category: CD Reviews
Comments: 2
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I love these guys! Great bass and tenor singing and such great energy! I watch them on cable on a southern gospel quartet show. (Forgive me for forgetting the name!!!)
I have been listening to these guys for several years now and everytime I have the pleasure of seeing them perform live it is always such a blessing!!! Such great men!!!
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