Choices

This is the recording of a house divided against itself. There are some innovative musical moments that seem to counterbalance the bland, factory-produced CCM moments. "Hosanna Gloria," "He Will Always Make a Way," and "He Reigns" border on gospel new wave, with lots of synth work and quirky melodies. At the time this recording was released, there was virtually nothing out there like it. "Get Right or Get Left," perhaps the song that made most people buy this recording in the first place, is vaguely reminiscent of Prince. There is nice artistry on the tone poem-ish "Ransome," which is very innovative for its genre — few artists ventured into this territory at the time. The rest of the recording is forgettable at best and artless at worst. Lyrically, there is no subtlety anywhere on the recording — very forthright with its Christian message. "Get Right or Get Left" is full of clever wordplay that is ripe for the Christian bumper sticker market. Perhaps the CCM industry of the '80s is the real culprit here, but certainly some nice, if not dated, musical elements do shine through. ~ Mark W. B. Allender, Rovi