Release Date: 4/27/2010

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Carlos Whittaker; have you heard of him? If not, maybe www.ragamuffinsoul.com should be on your daily blog read. Most know him from his blog & twitter account, @loswhit, but his main love is being a worship leader. Recently, he was the worship leader at Buckhead Church, one of Andy Stanley’s branches of Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta GA. His blog site averages 20,000 daily readers and you might have seen him recently on network morning shows from ABC to CBS. The reason for his sudden exposure is due to his hit YouTube video featuring his family and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” Whittaker’s calling and purpose can be summed up in his mission statement. “To ignite a movement of authenticity among all generations of Christians that morphs the face of the evangelical church in to a place of being real with yourself, others, & God.”

The man determined to make Christians “real” joined Integrity Records last fall to release a worship album. He never intended to release an album, but when the opportunity arose, Carlos took it and ran. People might wonder, what can Carlos bring to the worship genre that’s any different from the overwhelming flood of artists that fail to challenge us? Well, this album is filled with songs that will inspire, challenge, knock you down and make you want to live a life for the kingdom through all your actions, not only when there is a dire need. In reality, with only a single run through of this album, the audience will have a good hold on the lyrics and a clear understanding of Whittaker’s intent.

Ragamuffin Soul, which is named after his successful blog and love for reggae, is his debut album. It’s a well rounded collection of worship music from the beginning track “Rain it Down” to the end “We Will Dance.” Well-known producer/songwriter Jason Ingram, whose past projects include work with Bebo Norman, Point of Grace, Brandon Heath & others, produced this project. He co-wrote the 2009 hit “Give Me Your Eyes” with Heath. Carlos says that working with Ingram was enjoyable and he made the process very smooth.

As a debut album, you might expect a few hit and misses, but honestly, there isn’t a track that falls below the line here. Each song has a distinct background, in fact Carlos wrote 11 of the 12 songs on Ragamuffin Soul. Here is a breakdown of a few songs on the album:

• “God of Second Chances”: This is a beautiful song that illustrates God’s love for us. No matter how many times we screw up, and we will, He will give the repented heart “Second Chances.” Carlos wrote this song with his adopted son Losiah in mind, and how God not only gave Losiah a second chance, but also the Whittaker’s. “Righteous Savior / by your wounds we are healed / Your compassion draws us here / how amazing / is the mercy of the Cross / that You would reach out for us / so let the praises rise / You rescue with unfailing love / Hallelujah to our God.”
• “No Words”: is a song that ironically enough—has words. It speaks about how now there is are an overuse of words in regards to worship songs. That there is really “no words” that people can place on what the Lord has done for us.
• “Can’t Start This Fight”: is a wonderful song that will motivate the audience to get up and stop malingering on what to do and find a place they can stand for Jesus.
• “Shine On”: is my personal favorite from this album. This song reminds me of Matthew 5:14-16, when Jesus tells us “You are the Light of the World.” “Shine on our city / Shine in our homes Lord / Shine for the needy / Shine for the low / Shine for the broken / Shine for the poor / Shine for searching / ‘cause we’re like Saul on this road.”

Mr. Whittaker has delivered a nice addition to the genre’ that has been needed for sometime. His songwriting is exceptional. He knows from being a full-time Worship leader what types of songs will relate best to people, and how to inspire Christians to live a life for Jesus. Some might say it is just another worship album, but that is not the case. I challenge you to take a listen, hear the lyrics and you will not be disappointed.

9/10

Review by Ben Dempsey of RocktheCross.net

Release Date: 5/4/2010

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The Letter Black is a band that seems to have more connections than most. One should not be surprised at the well-constructed epic style rock content of their first full-length release. Tooth and Nail has made an excellent acquisition with this group. This match may be one of mutual admiration as The Letter Black turned down offers from other labels to join with T&N. However, with Flyleaf, Fireflight, Pillar, Red and others, is there room for this band and their all-star cast?  The Letter Black can share or own any stage previously occupied by (insert arena rock band name here). While The Letter Black can’t say they are the first, they can say they’ve got just as much, or more, to bring as anyone within their breed.

The problem many have with the bands like The Letter Black is that they are not too terribly original. While it may be true that, Hanging on by a Thread does not overflow with original content, the album still contains the required amount of fun. I’ve been told in the past, that this genre does not require its artists to be incredibly original as long as their music is fun.

The album leads off with “Fight Fire with Fire.” This track probably has the most commercial appeal with its hooky chorus. The title track may make the play list at radio stations, but only after most of their listeners are in bed. “Believe”contains the standard choppy string sectional, which some already will find to be cliché’. “Best of Me” brings it down with the required lighter track, complete with acoustic guitar intro.

For me the album finds the right gear with “All I Want.” The track begins with a scream reminiscent of early Lacy Mosley. While the female scream is not made for radio, it lends an edge to TLB’s collection of tracks that would not be present otherwise. “Care Too Much” and “Wounded” also allow Sarah Anthony to flex this wonderfully cryptic shriek.

I find it difficult to locate a bad track on this album. Every song is well written, and well produced. My only complaint is that the work is somewhat commercial. This grievance would be amplified if their contemporaries weren’t much— much worse. Hanging on by a Thread is solid enough but would it be wrong to ask them to sharpen the knife a little?

7.5/10

Review by Greg Rutledge of RocktheCross.net

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Release Date: April 6, 2010

Vicky Beeching has returned to the studio and developed her first album since 2008 entitled Eternity Invades. This is her third US release since making the move from the UK where she was born and raised.  Her first two albums received acclaim, but many felt that she had lost some of the power experienced at her live performances. Jay King, Integrity Music’s VP of Artist Development, stated “We are excited to deliver an amazing worship experience with an artist who is free to be who God has called her to be.” It seems that, with her previous records, she had been pressured to be more of an artist than a worship leader, as she ultimately desires.

On this record she wrote every song with some notable collaborations with Robin Mark, and Steve Fee as well as others. One song that will grab your attention, due to its rotation on Christian radio stations and in local worship services, is “Glory to God Forever.”  This song is also covered by Fee on their latest album Hope Rising.   Beeching has been writing songs since age 11. She says that she felt called into music when she was pursuing a theology degree at Oxford University. The album was produced by John MacIntosh (former guitarist for Tim Hughes).

One word describes this album best in my mind, Glory! This release, from the first song to the last, brings to the forefront our need to glorify God in all that we do. Vicky does a great job of expressing her love for Christ. At times it’s as if you are hearing her prayers, quietly observing as she lifts them to heaven. Vicky says it best, “The kingdom of God breaks when we worship.” So are we worshiping the Father as He wants us to, are we giving thanks for all that He has done for us? Key songs for this album begin with the first track “Salvation Day”, and continue with “Inhabit the Praise”.  ”Break Our Hearts”, is a song that stands out it, will elicit an emotional response from hitting on some key struggles within our walk with Christ.  “It’s time for us to live the songs we sing / And turn our good intentions into action / To bring the kind of worship You desire / And move beyond our self-absorbed distractions.”

Honestly when I started to listening to this album for review, I didn’t know much about Vicky other than hearing some of her material on the airwaves. However, that changed after experiencing this album. It has a way of growing on you each time. That may be because of her simplistic style or incredible vocals; either way, it makes for a pleasant worship experience. I challenge you to take a listen to the songs above and consider this album for purchase. I am sure that in the coming months we will begin to hear songs from this record appear in our local church.

8/10

Review by Ben Dempsey of RockTheCross.net