Myron Butler & Levi- Revealed…
Besides going live and doing more sophisticated worship, Myron Butler makes very little progress in making a golden record.
Being a heir of music greatness has its share of high expectations. Myron Butler knows about that. He once shared the song writing credits with gospel stallwarth Kirk Franklin and led the popular youthful ensemble God’s Property into stardom; planting them into the history books of 1990′s contemporary gospel music. His own works have documented many albums from gospel’s biggest stars (Twinkie Clark, Smokie Norful, T.D, Jakes, Marvin Sapp, DFW Mass Choir). It made sense for Butler, after GP folded into its unfortunate disparity, to strike out on his own. Already two albums in, Myron Butler tries to change his pace some by placing his group, Levi, before a live recording audience and by expanding his turf to cover the acoustic reflective worship in most Contemporary Christian records of today. The first two songs summarizes some of his expeditions into risky chord changes, bold harmonies and melody-bending surmising. The album opener, “Revealed,” works like a sparkling gospel-energized update of MJ’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin” but with a load of intricate funky horn buzzes and call-and-response moments.” Kirk Franklin makes an appearance with Butler on the Motown -meets-Barry White “Just Can’t Live.” Think of the opening of Barry White’s “You’re the First, My Last, My Everything” and the Supremes’ “You Just Keep Me Hangin’ On” and that’s what you get here. “Just Can’t Live” seems like an apropos match, but somehow the song losses steam halfway into the song as it ascends up a chain of mountainous choral and musical shifts. While the vamp, decorated with “ahhs” and lengthy crescendos, tends to keep the momentum going, it takes listeners away from the spunky drive. The last time you hear this kind of tempo and groove is at the tail end of the record, with the go-go partyness of “Covered.” The rest of the record is Butler incorporating pop worship into convoluted gospel harmonics.
Read entire review by J. Matt at PrayzeHymnOnline: http://prayzehymnonline.com
