Men On A Mission
Appointed
Appointed is a solid trio and their 2003 release Men On A Mission is a great collection of songs. I'm very impressed by Tim Sidden's orchestrations, Appointed's vocal delivery, and Tommy Swindle's songwriting skills on this CD. Unfortunately, my high praise for Swindle's writing does not extend to his graphic design. I don't mind that it's black and white, but I do mind that's it's a very dull looking cover . . . well, front and back for that matter. But I digress . . . on to the good stuff . . .
There's not a weak song on this CD. I've had a difficult time picking one as a favorite, but "Morning's On The Way" would have to rate near the top. It typifies the overall sound of this CD . . . that is, uplifting and exciting vocal delivery over well designed, yet spontaneous sounding music tracks. As is the case with most Southern Gospel, the lyrics are the primary focus, but it's also clear the instrumentalists are having a good time playing . . . a quality that's often sterilized out of modern Southern Gospel.
One stylistic departure is "Oh I Want To See Him." Brass horns punctuate the accompaniment, while organ, piano, and guitar maintain a rhythmic groove. Jason Webb gets in a few of his signature piano licks in the process. In a similar vein, "The Man With A Mission" steps up energy levels with an electronic drum driven track. The CD ends with an uptempo Ronny Hinson number "He Is Leading The Way."
Appointed has an excellent blend . . . they're made up of two tenors plus a lead, rather than the more typical tenor, lead, baritone lineup. This gives them a unique sound in the male trio category. And of course, there's Kevin Ivey on the higher tenor part to further give Appointed a distinct, recognizable sound.
On one level, I'm inclined to rate this CD with as many stars as I have at my disposal, but on the other hand I just can't let the sub-par graphic design slide. So I'm rating Men On A Mission at 4 stars. Don't let the cover or my rating discourage you from buying it, though. This CD sounds great.
4 Stars
--- by David Bruce Murray
Label: Journey Records
Producers: Zane King and Kevin Ward
Website: www.appointed.net
Song Titles: "Beautiful Days," "I Know I'll See You Again," "Just Say The Word," "Morning's On The Way," "You've Never Been Alone," "Oh I Want To See Him," "No Fountain So Sweet," "The Scarlet Thread," "The Man With A Mission," and "He Is Leading The Way"