3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: Daniel Ashmore. Since the Old Paths’ last album, they had a change at the bass position. They found 21-year-old Daniel Ashmore—and what a find! He sings with a warmth and rich resonance which suggest comparisons to Big John Hall or Randy Byrd. He’s already one of our genre’s ten best bass singers, and that’s just at 21. Imagine what a few years of seasoning and experience will add, and this could add up to a breakthrough moment for the group.

2: “The Blood On My Hands”: This is the project’s strongest ballad. Though it was recorded by the Skyline Boys, Jodi Hosterman, who had the feature, left shortly afterwards to join the Inspirations. So it’s essentially as good as new.

3: “God’s Great”: For decades, Sandy Knight has been in the elite class of writers who can can write quartet songs like nobody’s business. This one doesn’t disappoint. The studio rendition is a straight-ahead midtempo cut, but given the energy the Old Paths bring to the live stage, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them tearing up stages with this one live.

:1: More Daniel Ashmore: This recording was probably already in the works when previous bass singer Brandon Barry left suddenly, so it’s entirely understandable that new bass singer Daniel Ashmore really only has one feature song. But he’s one of the best bass singers in our genre, and it would be nice to see more bass features on the Old Paths’ next project.

Tenors, lead singers, and baritones record solo projects. Bass singers rarely record solo projects. When they do, those solo projects are often more intriguing than anything else. It can be fascinating to hear a singer whose strength is rattling subwoofers attempt the broader range a solo album demands. The lowest bass singers sometimes don’t have a natural mid and upper range—while those who do, baritones (under a classical definition) who can sing a bass part, sometimes avoid the higher notes for another reason. They either don’t want to admit how high their bass is, or in the upper registers, it has so much of a baritone’s voice quality that it wouldn’t even be recognized as a bass voice.

Justin Terry’s vocal work will already be familiar to many readers of this website from the years he has spent with Cross 4 Crowns. Their 2008 CD Turning Point received a 5-star rating when we reviewed it in 2008—completely unprecedented for a national debut project. The group’s 2010 follow-up received an also-solid four-star rating.

But Terry’s debut solo CD, Inspired, proves that he is one of the rare bass singers who can carry a solo album. He achieves the feat of maintaining a consistent tone from the top to the bottom of his range. Even when he is at the upper limits of his range—somewhere in the vicinity of middle C, several notes lower than a baritone’s high end—he still sounds like a bass singer. His voice, except for its lowest registers, has some country twang. The instrumentation brings this out; in fact, the voice and the album suggest comparisons to Josh Turner, of “Long Black Train” fame (or infamy)—albeit with an extra octave or so lower end!

What makes this more impressive is that Terry’s bass vocals are solidly in the school of Tim Riley, Jeff Chapman, Aaron McCune, and Glen Dustin. (He can sound uncannily like Jeff Chapman.) This makes his versatility in his upper registers all the more remarkable; bass singers with this voice type and technique are often the ones who have the greatest struggles delivering pleasant, smooth solos.

Many if not all of the songs on Inspired have been previously recorded, but Terry largely avoids the songs which seem to end up on every bass singer’s table project. Yes, there is the classic bass solo “When He Reached Down His Hand for Me<” and two or three familiar hymns. But he also revisits “Knowing What I Know About Heaven,” the best track from Guy Penrod’s solo debut Breathe Deep. In fact, some fans will undoubtedly rank Terry’s rendition as stronger.

When a bass singer does a solo project, it’s often something quick and simple to sell as a table project. This project shows creativity and attention to detail in song selection and arrangements. It’s one of those rare bass solo projects strong and diverse enough to suggest that the singer could actually stage an interesting solo concert and sustain a solo career. In fact, it is the strongest bass solo project reviewed on this website since Christian Davis’ 2006 release Make it Real. Long-time readers know how high of a compliment that is.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: How Big is God. During Pat Barker’s time with the Dixie Echoes, “How Big is God” became his signature song. But much like Scott Fowler proved that the Cathedrals should keep singing “Champion of Love,” Mike Jennings proves that the Dixie Echoes should keep on singing “How Big is God.”

2: Plan of Salvation. While Jennings’ take on “How Big is God” must necessarily draw comparisons to the large shoes (or, rather, cowboy boots) left by his predecessor, his take on “Plan of Salvation” draws comparisons to the large shoes (or, rather cowboy boots) left by the greatest Southern Gospel bass singer of all time. Jennings’ take isn’t a carbon copy, but its power and warmth make it a standout moment. (Of course, I might be biased; see here and here.)

3: I’ll Have a New Life. Yes, the three strongest moments on the album have a common factor. Mike Jennings was a brilliant find. (New tenor Michael Helwig is also a great find, and he holds down his part more than capably; however, he has yet to find his signature song.)

:1: Volume on dialog: If you have the volume on your speakers set at 25% for the music, you’ll have to crank it past 75% to hear the dialog.

Random observation: Now that he’s in his thirties, Scoot Shelnut’s voice is also entering the maturity of middle age. It is sounding increasingly closer to his father’s.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: I’d Still Walk With Jesus. If this Jim Brady song sounds vaguely familiar, there is a good reason—it was recorded in 2006 by the Rochesters. But few remember that rendition, and the two groups have rather divergent styles. Of all the covers on the album, this is easily the strongest. It’s as good as new. The song’s mellow feel is perfect for Declaration’s tight harmonies. In fact, the rendition is so strong that it’s mildly surprising that the Booth Brothers haven’t already cut it.

2: Where Flowers Bloom. This song was penned by Steven Medlock in 1998, but I can’t find any instances of it appearing before a 2011 rendition by Christian bluegrass singer Val Storey. Even though it’s not the tenor’s strongest vocal performance on the album—let alone the strongest vocal performance overall—the song as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you’re a fan of well-performed mellow songs (like “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me” or “Loving Shepherd, Gracious God”), this is the song that will get the most repeats.

3: I Call it Home. Yes, the lead vocal sounds so much like Ronnie Booth or Jim Brady that this track could land on a Booth Brothers album and plenty of fans wouldn’t notice. Look past that. Southern Gospel groups have recorded countless renditions of this song; this is easily one of the smoothest.

:1: “I Can’t Even Walk” and “Try a Little Kindness”: Southern Gospel groups have also recorded countless renditions of these two songs. Though there is nothing terrible or unprofessional about these back-to-back tracks (songs 5 and 6), other groups have turned in stronger renditions of each. Also, both seem to be over-done of late. If these tracks had been replaced by two strong, new tracks, the album’s rating would have been at least a half-star higher.

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Especially when singing as an ensemble, Declaration sounds remarkably like the Booth Brothers. This isn’t necessarily entirely accidental. Jim Brady completely produced one track, and Michael Booth and Jim Brady both provided vocal coaching when the group was recording vocals.

(The credits include an already almost quaint comment that the vocal assistance was provided by iPhone. Perhaps iPhones have peaked and will fade; perhaps they will become so ubiquitous that they won’t be worthy of comment. Either way, fifty years from now, you can practically guarantee that it will seem as quaint as a late-’50s LP liner note advertising the latest stereophonic technology “that will never obsolete” does now!)

Declaration sounds so much like the Booth Brothers that they prove the truth of the axiom that it’s entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. Though Jesus’ comment that a disciple cannot be greater than his master was not exactly spoken with performing musicians in mind, it’s applicable here; to make their own mark on the industry, they need to develop their own distinctive sound.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: Concept. Few Southern Gospel releases can claim to be completely unique, but this is one of them. Shawn Degenhart, lead singer and visionary behind the project, had special access to the Stamps Quartet Music Company’s extensive 5,000+-song catalog. While every Southern Gospel fan recognizes perhaps a dozen of these songs, and committed aficionados might recognize 200, there are still thousands of forgotten gems. Degenhart brings back ten largely forgotten gems (as well as one that is slightly better remembered, “My Nonstop Flight to Glory”).

2: Performances. The performances of these forgotten gems leave nothing to be desired. With a cast including Allison Durham Speer, Stephen Hill, and Mike Allen on vocals, you know it will be good vocally. The instrumental tracks complement the vocal performances perfectly.

3: “Look for the Silver Lining”: With access to a multi-thousand song catalog, you would expect Degenhart to come upon some gems, and he does not disappoint. Of these, the strongest is certainly “Look for the Silver Lining.” It is a wonder this one hasn’t been done far more often.

:1: Nothing: This project accomplishes exactly what it sets out to achieve. Nothing could have made it stronger. It’s sheer delight for the ears of the fan of good convention singing. 

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1. “The Call is Still the Same”: The title cut is an autobiographical look at the challenges and blessing of a life spent following Christ. Tenor Matt Felts anchors the song, the best anthem the group has recorded in a decade. Dixie Melody Boys alumnus Rodney Griffin, who co-wrote the song with Wayne Haun, offers a guest vocal on the second verse.

2. Guest Vocalists: Song Garden lined up a number of Dixie Melody Boys alumni for guest appearances to commemorate the group’s fiftieth anniversary—Ernie Haase, Devin McGlamery, Allen O’Neal, Harold Reed, McCray Dove, and Kent Humphrey—and additional guest vocals from Jason Crabb and Ben Speer. It is a fitting salute to Ed O’Neal, who has made a career out of launching others’ careers.

3. “I’ve Got Family There”: Ed O’Neal’s solo on this mellow song about Heaven is an album highlight. Ben Speer’s guest harmony vocals are a pleasant bonus.

:1. One thing I would change: Nothing, really: A few more incredible songs would have made this a five-star project, but even as it is, it’s the best mainline project the Dixie Melody Boys have released in fifteen years.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1: New Convention Songs. The Milby Family dedicated half of the album “to sharing today’s finest convention-style music,” finding six new convention-style songs. It wouldn’t be far off to think of the Milby Family as a modern-day Hayes Family, one generation younger. Hayes Family fans should definitely check out the Milby Family.

2: Everybody Said “Amen”. This song, depicting revival breaking out in a church, is both the strongest of the new convention songs and the project’s strongest track.

3: At the Cross. This acapella arrangement sparkles with care, creativity, and attention to detail. Sisters Tess, Grace, and Brooke turn in a very strong performance.

:1: One more man. The Milby Family is a husband and wife and their three daughters. Since father Robin Milby sings bass (quite decently low for a mixed-group bass singer), alto Tess Milby spends much of her time in the lowest portion of her range. The group’s harmonies would be stronger if they could add a male vocalist with a baritone/lead range.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1. Concept: A bluegrass group covering modern praise and worship hits? No question, that’s a unique concept. If mandolins and banjos are more your cup of tea than wailing electric guitars and driving synthesizers, you are quite likely to enjoy this project.

2. “Mighty to Save”: This song particularly shines in a bluegrass setting. Naturally, some songs adapt to bluegrass better than others. This is one of the better ones.

3. “From the Inside Out”: Ditto to #2. This song adapts so well that a casual bystander may well assume that it was written and intended for bluegrass music!

4 (bonus). “In Christ Alone”: This is the one modern praise song that seemingly everyone in Southern Gospel has covered. Naturally, their rendition would sound at least something like a half-dozen other familiar renditions, right? Wrong.

Alto Terri Argot Gore trades lines with (presumably) tenor Mark Dunham for an acapella first verse. Just when you think this comfortable vocal pairing may carry the song through by itself, the instruments kick into a driving bluegrass groove for the second and third verses. It’s a surprise highlight.

:1. Instrumentation/arrangements: The group has a vocalist, an upright bassist, a banjo player, and three guitarists. One guitarist also plays mandolin. Though there’s a guest fiddler on some tracks, the arrangements would have been stronger with a more complete bluegrass ensemble. Of course, if you don’t care for fiddles or dobros, you will perceive this as a plus!

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1. Original Songs: Members of the Mark Dubbeld Family wrote all of the project’s songs. Most were written by mother Janene Dubbeld; father Mark Dubbeld co-wrote one.

2. “The Reward”: This song offers a unique perspective on the call to Christian service: “That’s why I give up myself as an offering / That the Lamb may receive the award / The reward of His suffering.” Anchored by a solid vocal performance and a Milton Smith orchestration, it’s easily the project’s showstopper.

3. “I Won’t Be a Stranger”: This mellow song about being known as Christ’s in Heaven has a particularly well-crafted lyric. The featured female vocalist’s voice has a timbre which works well for this mellow approach. The song, though, is strong enough that a power treatment from a rich alto like Chris Freeman or Libbi Perry Stuffle could make the song a show-stopper.

:1. Synthesized Brass: At points, particularly on “My Answer is Yes,” the brass sounded synthesized. (Based on the album credits, it appears that it was.) The album would probably have been better off with no brass.

3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

1. “Dying to Live Again”: This song is well-crafted and has a great hook. It’s the caliber of song you expect to find on a new Brian Free & Assurance or Gold City album. It’s written by Brad and Sandra Rowe, who are apparently newcomers to the Southern Gospel songwriting scene. If there are more songs of that caliber where that one came from, plan to keep an eye on the Rowes.

2. “You are the Only One”: This new Dianne Wilkinson song is a well-crafted statement of faith.

3. “Not To Us O Lord”: This song co-written by Michael W. Smith and Paul Smith works surprisingly well in a Southern Gospel context.

:1. One thing I would change: “Doing it By the Book”: The bass singer’s half-speaking / half-singing on the verses might work well live, but comes across as odd on the project.