It's Vintage Smokie| Posted June 07, 2024 What You Need to Know Pastor Smokie Norful burst on the scene around 1999 or 2000, when he gained noteriety playing and singing in the lobby during the Gospel Music Workshop of America. A few years later, he released I Need You Now, which included the colossal title track that stayed on Gospel airways. After 22 years of releasing Gospel music, it is awesome to see this brother still at it with his new album of nine songs, I Still Have You.
What It Sounds Like Vintage Smokie! He knows what works for him and that voice. From the churchy, organ-filled "I Can Do All Things" to the power ballad "I Still Have You", Smokie knows how to masterfully drive a song without over riffing or running. He remakes the 90's Thompson Community Singers song, "In My Name." This is a number that will continue to encourage people with lyrics, like, "I am the Lord I can move all mountains/I'll be your strength when you're weak weary and worn/Believe in My Promise/Cast your cares on me/Anything that you need/Just ask in My name." Smokie adds a little heat with the slow banger, "Blessing", one where the beat could easily be used in rap music.
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights There are so many songs centered around things being okay, and working out. You think there may already be too much in that area. However, with new devolopments, tragedies, etc, you quickly realize that another song of encouragement will not hurt. On the soulful, It's Gonna Be Alright, the second verse stood out to me for obvious reasons. "Around the world things are happening all the time/And if you look too long and hard,it'll make you lose your mind/I don't care what it looks like/Don't let it steal your smile/If you hold on long enough/He'll fix it afterwhile."
Best Song On The Record This was an easy one for me. Here Smokie remade an R&B classic, "They'll Never Be." He takes this Switch song and flips it to refer to Christ. I would not have been mad if he made it as an ode to his wife. Either way would have worked. It still has that old soulful sound with some smooth vocals from Smokie singing of how they will never be anyone like Jesus.
Final Word I Still Have You is the album for Day 1 Smokie Norful fans and for those who love good Gospel singing with a great message. He did not pack the album with filler songs and felt that nine were enough. Buy on Apple Music and listen on Spotify.
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