Heart Talk
Betty Tilley
Rating: 3 1/2 STARS
Website: http://www.bettytilley.com
Producer: Eddie Crook
Song Titles: "He Keeps The Son Shining Bright," "I Let My Heart Talk," "Resurrection Resurrected Me," "That's Enough," "When You're Down On Your Knees," "Let Him Pass By," "He Blesses My Soul," "Do That In Me," "My Fathers House," and "Only If It Pleases You"
If Angie Hoskins Aldridge ever tried to sing like Anne Murray (that is to say, ON the melody most of the time rather than all around it), she'd sound like Betty Tilley. That's the most descriptive sonic analogy I can invent to describe Tilley's project Heart Talk.
The song selection on this recording is very good...ten new tunes with decent production quality. Four selections were written by Angela Fulkerson, with two more by former CMP Magazine publisher Lori Kelley Woods. The best track is the one from which the CD title is taken, "I Let My Heart Talk," written by Larry Petree. Rhonda Hinson and Adrian Payne lend their background vocals to the CD, and they match Tilley's voice perfectly on this song. The electric guitar competes a bit with the vocals, but not significantly. I also liked "When You're Down On Your Knees," written by Tony Jones.
The artwork (or lack of) leaves quite a bit to be desired, but that's the only glaringly negative element to this CD. The music tracks could have used a bit more variation, but the playing by studio musicians Joel Key, Dirk Johnson, Rob Tripp, and Marty Schrabel is solid. It appears that a greater effort was made on the first five tracks. Heart Talk loses some steam around track six and doesn't regain from it for the remaining songs. If the energy level and musical creativity had been sustained for the entire CD, I would have given this recording another 1/2 star. I haven't had the opportunity to see Tilley perform in a concert setting, but based on this recording, I believe she has the potential (vocally, at least) to do well as a soloist in Southern Gospel music.
by David Bruce Murray