Moving Forward
Posted August 22, 2007
By IronJedi,
Just about anyone with a pen can write a song. It takes an artist to craft a song which communicates its message with emotion. New Creative Soul artist Gregory Paul Smith is just such a song-writer. I Can Live Again, his debut from ktc Music and Creative Soul Records, hit stores on May 29th. Though a relative unknown, Smith's resume includes a stint as an All-American Jazz Trombonist, frontman of Christian Rockers Mars Hill Band, and lead singer of the Calvary Echoes Quartet.
The music of I Can Live Again offers a broad cross-section of the numerous stylistic influences to be found across the American soundscape. Stylistically, Smith blends influences from gospel, blues, young/crossover country (i.e. Rascal Flatts) and heartland pop (i.e. Casting Crowns) to create his music. All of I Can Live Again's tracks fall squarely in the pop /AC genre, but the successful blending of diverse and distinctive elements, gives each song a distinct quintessence.
The centerpiece of this debut is clearly Smith's vocals. Gregory is equally comfortable belting out a Steve Green-esque anthem ("Dwelling Place"), which showcases his vocal prowess," to a rock-tinged arrangement ("I Can See Beyond Tomorrow"). He can give a bluesy delivery ("Broken") one moment, and effortlessly segue into a quite and melodic ballad ("I Will Love You").
Lyrically, Smith's songs are hope-filled, worship-centric works. Because of the breadth of influences, Gregory Paul Smith's I Can Live Again will appeal to fans of stalwart favorites like Steven Curtis Chapman, Phillips, Craig and Dean and Aaron Jeffrey, to relative newcomers such as Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Caleb Rowden and Josh Bates. View All Music And Book Reviews By IronJedi | View IronJedi's Profile
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