Family Prayer

Do not judge the Murrills by their dramatic first single, "Family (There's a Healing)." The churchy track has all the makings of a bona fide gospel tearjerker — producer Donald Lawrence's exhortative ad libs make it even churchier — but it's nothing like the rest of Family Prayer, the sextet's impressive debut recording for Verity Records. It was a long time coming for the album, but the delay was warranted, given the confidence the sextet displays throughout, a world-weariness that belies younger, more eager vocal ensembles. As far as family acts go, the Murrills have more in common with the Staple Singers than with singing clans that are decidedly straight-ahead gospel in approach — the siblings don't shy away from singing about their beliefs, but they aren't preachy, either. Theirs is a friendly, inspirational message, at times a little too cheerful for its own good, but no less uplifting, made all the more palatable by the Murrills' classic R&B and Motown predilections. As produced by Lawrence, Tommy Sims, Percy Bady, and other veterans, this throwback vibe is a breath of fresh air, especially in a day and age when most young acts in gospel put a hip-hop beat to their praise lyrics and call it a day. By comparison, Family Prayer is extremely classy, a delightful disc that only presages great things to come for this vocally tight singing aggregate — also one of the best new groups of 2008, gospel, urban, or otherwise.