CD Reviews

Unity - Don’t Look Back

Produced by: Corey Pearson
Website: http://www.unitytheshireys.com

This group knocked my socks off! The family harmony is just great. Unity, or the Shirey family is made up of Mom (Darlene), Dad (Wayne) and daughters Victoria (17) and Rachael (14). Darlene and Wayne have great voices, but the daughters will shock you with their talent at such a young age. It’s obvious to me that this family has been singing together for a long time. “Don’t look back” is a great way to kick off the record, and is followed by an even stronger cut in my opinion, “That Wonderful Name.” The girls with their country/bluegrass vocals sound like they’ve been influenced by the Isaac sisters, or perhaps the McRae girls. “Jerusalem” previously recorded by powerhouse group The Hoppers was no disappointment. I thought it was a gutsy move by Unity to record this song, but they really do a great job. The track helps them pull it off too. It sounds like the original to me, though it’s just that Unity employed some of SG’s best musicians for the record. The Crabb Family’s “Don’t You Wanna Go” leaves me with the same sentiment. They pull off the Hoppers tune perhaps a little better than the Crabb’s, but both are very well sung.

The album, however is NOT plagued by covers, but is mostly made up of songs written by various members of the group. A peek at the credits shows you that seventeen year old Victoria seems to be the big writer of the group. “One of His Bride” is written and sung by Wayne Shirey, followed by “I Sing Praises” written and sung by Darlene. Both are good offerings. I really enjoy Darlene’s rich alto tone. “Take my Hand” written by Victoria, and I believe sung by younger sister Rachael, is not at all lyrically what you expect to hear from such a young person. I happen to have had the privilege of knowing Annie McRae when she was 17 and Victoria reminds me a lot of her at that age. She is definitely someone to watch. Picking things up again, “Jesus Is Always There for Me” features Darlene and gives a different sound from when one of the girls is leading, never the less, still tight and enjoyable.

“Child of God” is a moving ballad. The vocal work on this is really nice. The album ends with a bang. “My Heavenly Home” features and was written by Victoria. Not only lyrically and melodically is she a mature song writer, but she is not stuck in a stylistic rut. She offers several different styles on this project, and is largely responsible for Unity’s sound. The only reason Unity didn’t receive a 5 star rating from me, was because I believe they are not the best they can be yet. The potential for even greater things is evident. I heard a few pitches and cut-offs that weren’t together, and few other small things. I wanted to give them at least half a star more to reach for next time. I think this is an excellent group. I’ll be looking for a chance to hear them live myself.