MusicScribe BLOG

Producer: Bubba Smith
Label: Daywind Records
Website: www.karenpeckandnewriver.com

Song Titles: “Hey,” “Last Night,” “Journey Of Joy,” “‘Round The Kitchen Table,” “Then He Moved,” “When The Stone Rolled Away,” “Whispered Prayers,” “Faith,” “Behind The Line Of Grace,” “Hold On,” and “Where The Dirt Road Stops”

Contrasting Karen Peck & New River’s Good To Be Free from 2005, 2007′s Journey Of Joy provides more opportunities for Karen Peck’s backup singers New River group members Susan Peck Jackson and Devin McGlamery to step into the spotlight. Karen Peck is still featured primarily (as you’d naturally expect after viewing the cover artwork and noting the group name), but there’s more of a trio approach to the vocal arrangements this time around.

“Hey” gets the CD underway with a fun lyric and an upbeat country track tinted with hints of bluegrass. This sort of instrumentation is used for most of the CD. The first single from this recording is “Last Night,” a song in a 6/8 meter that overcomes the stereotypical 6/8 song with creative arranging. It’s an almost awkward shuffle that builds to a big ending…like a ballad, but slightly faster than a typical ballad. Susan steps up to the microphone for the title track, a mid-tempo cut that again leans on bluegrass instruments for flavor. “‘Round The Kitchen Table” reminisces about the good old days when the family ate and prayed together. This is the sort of song that Karen belts right out of the park. It has potential for mainstream Country radio as well as gospel.

Devin takes the lead for “Then He Moved,” a slower Country cut about the resurrection of Jesus. “When The Stone Was Rolled Away” has a Bluegrass meets Motown meets KP&NR treatment. A B3 organ, a banjo, some “na na na” background vocals, and KP&NR’s vocals combine to give this track a mood you don’t hear every day. “Whispered Prayers” is the potential goose bump generating song on Journey Of Joy. Starting softly with just an acoustic guitar, the song generates a worshipful mood. Just when you think it’s all over, a tag fades back in with overlapping spoken examples of whispered prayers (and one that isn’t whispered at all).

I am impressed by the way the songs are paced on Journey Of Joy. Following “Then He Moved” with “When The Stone Was Rolled Away” is one example. The intro to “Faith” is another, starting softly so as not to disturb the residual effects of “Whispered Prayers,” but then moving to a comfortable, mid-tempo setting right away. The trumpets on the bridge were a bit of a disruption. These sound a bit fake and no human player is credited, so I’m assuming this sound came from a keyboard sample as an afterthought…better left out. The pace slows again for “Behind The Line Of Grace,” another cut that features Susan. Devin is featured on the bluesy “Hold On,” with the B3 organ returning to provide padding behind his blue-eyed soul vocals. Someone else is singing extra BGVs on this cut, because you can hear a male bass singer in the back of the mix. Karen slows the tempo on “Where The Dirt Road Stops” to close out Journey Of Joy.

By the way, Karen co-wrote three songs on Journey Of Joy. These include “Hey” and “Faith” (with former New River member John Darin Rowsey) and “When The Stone Rolled Away” (with Rowsey and Joel Lindsey). Also, Susan co-wrote the title track with Rebecca J. Peck (any relation?). Other writers whose songs appear on Journey Of Joy include Marcia Henry, Ronny Hinson, Cindi Ballard, Jeff Steele, Earl Galloway, Kyla Rowland, and Gerald Crabb.

Journey Of Joy has the sort of consistency from beginning to end that should be more common from major label releases. The song selection, while not earth shattering in terms of creativity, is solid enough…employing tried and true themes like grace, faith, and deliverance as well as the Bible story songs KP&NR fans have come to expect. Sure, there’s a bit of fun at the outset with a “gee whilakers” sort of song like “Hey,” but Journey Of Joy is more substantial than that. Also, the production quality is very good (pretending no out of place trumpets exist momentarily), and the singing is both interesting and unique due to Karen’s distinctive tone quality.

Bottom line: Journey Of Joy is one of the better releases I’ve heard in 2007.