Men Of His Word
Phil Cross And Poet Voices
Label: Sonlite
Producers: Phil Cross
Websites: www.poetvoices .com and www.crossroadsmusic.com
Song Titles: "My Name Is There," "Dead Days Are Over," "God Leads Us Along," "Hold On A Little Longer," "Men Of His Word," "There's No Such Thing," "Grace Will Bring Me Home," "Tears In A Bottle," "Wonderful Wonder," and "I'll Remember To Remember You In Prayer"
After being on hiatus for a while, Phil Cross And Poet Voices are back in a male trio format with Men Of His Word . In addition to Cross, the trio consists of vocalists Mark Lanier and Greg Crowe . This CD contains five new songs written by Cross and two more written by Lanier with Cross assisting. The song writing is the most appealing aspect of Men Of His Word . Cross and the other writers have a knack for rhyming unexpected words ("eternal" with "holy journal" and "shattered" with "gathered"). They also keep one strong concept central to each lyric.
Danny Crawford , David Johnson , Jeremy Medkiff , Mylon Hayes , and Rick Murray are the session players who created the musical backdrop for Men Of His Word . The musical arrangements tend to not be overly elaborate in scope, but each performance is executed very well. The same type of statement could be made about the vocal performances. You won't hear a lot of vocal acrobatics, but Cross, Lanier, and Crowe effectively convey the message in each lyric. Most tracks have a traditional country treatment, especially tunes like "There's No Such Thing" that give Johnson an opportunity to display his diverse skills on practically every instrument that has strings. "Grace Will Bring Me Home" is one of the lyrics that stood out to me. The first verse is about a young boy who felt out of place until he was befriended by a girl named Grace. As the song progresses and the boy grows older, another type of Grace befriends him. "Wonderful Wonder" is a bit of a stylistic departure from the rest of the CD. The accompaniment is very light (bass and percussion) with some a cappella vocal elements. The CD concludes with a tune written by Elmer Cole called "I'll Remember To Remember You In Prayer."
Men Of His Word offers a great introduction to the song writing skills of Phil Cross. The CD has a good traditional country flavor that is relaxing and nostalgic. If you're looking for energetic music tracks, power ballads, sweeping orchestrations, and/or singers who will blow you away with their sheer vocal ability, you may not care for Men Of His Word . However, if you prefer unpretentious vocal harmonies on songs that encourage the listener to consider, reflect, and be drawn in, you should be happy to add the latest Poet Voices chapter to your library.
Rating: 4 Stars--- David Bruce Murray