Ecclesiastes 1:9 | Posted April 04, 2013
Show Me The Way - EP is the latest album from Mr. Talkbox hit the streets on January 29. This is Talkbox's fourth release and contains a combination of new and old material. Talkbox's specialty is just that, playing the Talkbox. He has featured for TobyMac, won a GMA Dove Award for writing and producing Group 1 Crew's "Moving" and provides a new level of artistry to what can sometimes become a very bland genre.
This project opens up with a new song, "Party," and features Group 1 Crew. The song is a celebration of freedom in Christ. It speaks to moving on from your past and knowing that everything will be all right. Blanca Callahan adds some brilliant vocals while Manwell Reyes provides a very solid verse. It is a promising opening to the project.
Things get typical Talkbox on the next track. "Shine" speaks to letting your light shine and also gives a spelling lesson for the word "S-H-I-N-E." The message is easy to grasp, however it is a very far drop off from the first track. This track was first released in 2012 as a single.
"Show Me The Way" has a piano-driven rhythm and a more lyrical touch. This is where Talkbox shines. His mastery of the talkbox on the verses and is something special. For the most part, this instrument is usually reserved for short highlights in the bridge of a song, but Mr. Talkbox definitely brings this skill to the forefront on this song. The song is about having reliance on God and His Holy Spirit to give us direction in our lives, and surrendering to that direction.
Another remix of "Destiny" shows up next. This song was originally from Chambers' debut release in 2004 and showed up again on The Remix Animated in 2008. The final track, "Everything Works Together" features the vocal stylings of Beckah Shae. It has a solid Gospel message straight from Romans 8:28. This song was also previously released on the 2010 album My Time.
Closing Thoughts:
EPs are always interesting to review. If it is a new artist, it can be an interesting taste of what is yet to come; many times newer artists will release an EP at no cost in order to build a following. If it is a more established artist, the EP can be a fun way to play with older songs and put some new shine on them. In this case there were two new songs, which were the highlights of the album, and three mediocre re-hashes which left me let down. The inclusion of Group 1 Crew on "Party" and the new use of the talkbox on "Show Me The Way" are definite highlights. I admire Mr. Talkbox for his production skills, however as a standalone artist he leaves me wanting more originality.
Song to Download Now:
"Party" feat. Group 1 Crew (Get it from iTunes here.)
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