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VaShawn Mitchell – Created 4 This
Sunday, September 9, 2012 10:20
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VaShawn MitchellCreated 4 This
EMI Gospel (2012)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.
A fascinating moment on VaShawn Mitchell’s new CD, Created 4 This, is when he begins a medley of worship songs by singing the first few bars of his hit, “Nobody Greater.” The audience gathered in the Thornton High School
While Mitchell’s Created 4 This is steeped in the praise and worship aesthetic—sometimes blithely uptempo and other times quiet and contemplative, but always optimistic—the lyrics hint that things have not always been great. “Things weren’t going so well for me,” Mitchell admits, “even though things looked great on the outside.”
But things are getting better, and the album’s first single, “Turning Around For Me,” expresses that sentiment clearly (“Sometimes discouraged but not defeated”). When he sings, “It won’t always be like this,” a smattering of shouts and handclaps from the audience indicate he is not alone. Similarly, on “Status,” Wendall Parker and the fabulous Tanesha Jefferson join Mitchell in a declaration that they are well on their way to success and better days.
The most moving portions of the album, however, are when Mitchell gives his forecast of hope a traditional feel. “His Record,” with Clifton Ross, opens with a warbling B3, a Roberta Martin-esque piano intro, and a lyric that sounds inspired by a Sunday sermon. V. Michael McKay’s “The Potter’s House,” on which Mitchell is joined by American Idol favorite Fantasia Barrino and her mother, Evangelist Diane Barrino, is a pulpit-fueled lesson about God putting the broken pieces of life back together. These two songs contain the life enriching messages that all gospel songs ought to contain.
“I Will,” a bonus track on the Deluxe Edition, is in line musically with the album’s other P&W tracks, but Kierra Sheard squalls it into traditional territory.
EMI Gospel has a knack for fine packaging, and the Deluxe Edition includes a booklet that unfolds into a handsome poster of Mitchell and a DVD featuring music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the live recording. Created 4 This may not exactly repeat the five-star masterpiece of Mitchell’s Triumphant, but with the help of its traditional pieces, it stands confidently on its own.
Four of Five Stars
Picks: “His Record,” “The Potter’s House.”
2012-09-09 10:13:11
Source: http://www.theblackgospelblog.com/2012/09/vashawn-mitchell-created-4-this.html
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