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I am very thankful that at LTTM we get sent some amazing CD's and DVD'S to review for you guys. Sometimes we get albums from the big Christian artists that we have known from older releases, or we get albums that have been tagged as "the next big thing", but once in a while we get an album from an artist I know nothing about and have never heard of. This is what I found with this album: "Reach Out". I had never heard of it, but the basic black cover album and red writing did make me want to...
Read More I am very thankful that at LTTM we get sent some amazing CD's and DVD'S to review for you guys. Sometimes we get albums from the big Christian artists that we have known from older releases, or we get albums that have been tagged as "the next big thing", but once in a while we get an album from an artist I know nothing about and have never heard of. This is what I found with this album: "Reach Out". I had never heard of it, but the basic black cover album and red writing did make me want to see what this was about.
I think it would be unfair for me to go on with this review until I have explained who Rhema South Band are. The band has come from Rhema South Church which is situated in South of Johannesburg in South Africa. The songs from this album were written by church members with the songs written in a mixture of Zulu & English. The CD/DVD was recorded with 2000 worshippers and a massive 80 member choir.
The album starts with African Praise, which kicks in with a heavy distorted guitar doing a lot of fiddly lead guitar work which is a very interesting start to say the least. The vocals sound poor on this track, the key of the songs is very low for the woman and men to sing and one of the lead vocalist sounds like he is having trouble hitting those low notes. But the main reason I really dislike this track is the vocalists who are singing over the main melody who seem to be singing the "showy off bits", over the top of everyone for most of the track. With all this going on it seems a bit messy, and it doesn't help having a horrible heavily distorted guitar in the background trying to be the most heard instrument.
Up next is "Akekho Onjengaye" which means "There Is No One Like You", which has a bit of a better grove to the previous song, but the recording again seems more interested in the "showy off bits". Before I go on, I don't mind people using their vocal talent in worship to God, but this female vocalist goes into the 'over the top singing' from the start of the song, distracting from the lyrics of the track. Sometimes less is more! Thankfully the album takes a turn for the better in the next few tracks in "Come & Praise" and "Free" which are both gospel songs with good melodies and fantastic lyrics from a different vocalist to the first two tracks.
To finish this review, Yes I have been very harsh with this album, Yes I know I couldn't do better. And to be fair after the first two songs the album does take a better turn, but in places this is still a very difficult album to listen to. The best thing on this album is the Choir who are good and used to sing the majority of the songs. I just feel with so many great live DVD's/CD's out now, and more to come out after the summer festivals, this doesn't hit the mark for me.
Buy the CD here.
Review by Jono Davies
LTTM Rating 2 out of 5 Stars
Standout Tracks
Free
Come And Praise
