Does the lyrical content or the style of music determine the genre an artist is placed in?
After listening to singer Crystal Lewis’ first self-titled album of her illustrious career, I felt like maybe she’d been misplaced.
Categorized as a Christian singer, the Dove Award-winning Californian does sing encouragingly about God. If you, only for a moment, ignored her inspiring words in exchange for paying attention strictly to her voice and production (which is handled masterfully by Elijah Thomson and Peace586), what you’d hear is the finest of soul music.
You’d hear rhythm and blues with elements of hip-hop-fused Euro acid jazz, the kind you’d enjoy by candlelight with a spritzy beverage. Or maybe under sunlight in a lawn chair during a summer festival.
Regardless of the whereabouts, with this set Crystal spoke to the deepest, most-vulnerable core of anyone who listened – herself included.
“I Will Sing” opened the album with a stirring piano solo before spinning into east coast kick drums loosely reminiscent of “Top Billin” by Audio Two. What headlined here is Lewis’ passionate confessional, admitting worldly happenings affected her.
The heartfelt honesty continued on the funky “In Your Name (for Your Glory)”, a neck-snapping, throw-your-hands-up praise that features Christon Gray.
Lewis’ anointed messages play out excellently on each track, but they can also be felt by simply reading the song titles: “Be Alright”, “Faithful”, “Love Each Other”, “Let Go”, “Move On”. “Brave”, the final track on the LP, was easily the most moving. With just a piano, she opened by singing, “I will not fear, I will not fear, though the Earth gives way”.
The path to righteousness has many roads. Throughout this soulful LP it’s apparent that Crystal Lewis realized she is the vehicle and the driver, one who continued to be fueled by faith in the face of obstacles. Labeled Christian music or called inspirational R&B. No matter what genre you’d place it in, just make sure you make a place for it in your collection. |THIS ENT
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
