Make It Loud

At the outset of Martha Munizzi's fifth album, the live set Make It Loud!, she justifies the title with a series of lengthy songs in an uptempo mode. The leadoff title song has a distinct hip-hop feel, with even a little rap thrown in, suggesting that Munizzi is trying to be the P!nk or Fergie of the contemporary gospel field. Songs like "Excellent" have more of a traditional gospel choir feel. But after "My God Is a Big God" (which, counting the main track and the reprise, runs over 14 minutes), Munizzi opts to make it soft for the rest of the disc, beginning with the acoustic ballad "No One Higher." Joined by other singers, notably Danielle Munizzi, who takes over lead on "Your Love Oh God," and Lori Morrison on "Never Stop Singing," Munizzi takes the album in a far gentler direction. The quietude is odd given the title and the frantic beginning, and the album seems to sputter out on the fade of "Until," as if it were stopping before a livelier finish. There is some typically emotional Munizzi singing here, but the album is unbalanced.