Artist: Rance Allen Group
Title: Closest Friend
Reviewer: Garfield White
From the 70’s until present day, the Rance Allen Group has laid down album after album of good ol’ gospel music. Now the group comes back to the listener with their latest release Closest Friend. The album has a spring or fall afternoon drive feel to it. Cool and more slightly mellow that the average Rance Allen Group album but still pours out messages of Gods greatness from beginning to end. The group shows their versatility with their production throughout the album. The album includes a spirit filled set of foot stomping traditional sounding gospel quartet sounds with ‘Seasons of Love’ and ‘Let’s Praise’. Rance and the group worship the Lord with a full choir on the ballad ‘Be Thou Exalted’.
They also give the listener a more contemporary gospel sound to spread the message of Christ on this album. The r&b sound on tracks like ‘Doin’ All Things’, ‘Melody of Love’ prove Rance and the group can hang musically with the gospel sound of today and still provide a traditional message of God’s love. ‘Keep on Blessing Me’ is a smooth track with much radio friendly appeal where the group expresses thanks to God for the many blessings he bestows upon us. ‘Doin’ All Things’ is another smoothed out track where the group explains that they have been doing on this journey all because they put their trust and faith in Jesus. “Reach Out’ tells the story of the woman that touched the hem of Jesus’ Garment and was made whole. Rance and the group harmonize over this slow ballad and tell us with faith we can ‘reach out’ and be made whole.
‘My Help’ falls into the line of what many of Rance’s fans are expected to hear. Rance bellows out with his extensive vocal range expressing where all his help comes from on this ballad style track. Allen opens the album with the title track “Closest Friend’ then further testifies his love for the Lord on tracks like ‘Can’t Live Without You’. Words like “You been with me from the start, giving me every beat of my heart, every breath that I breath comes from you Lord, there ’s no way I can live without you” over a steady funk styled groove make this track a hit. The album closes with ‘Heaven’ which tells of how a strong faith can grant several opportunities for someone.
Rance has always used music to spread the word of God and continues to push the boundaries of his sound a bit further with every album he releases. The album gives the listener a slightly different sound but the soul and spirit of the group shines through for all to enjoy. An easy play from beginning to end, The Rance Allen group continues their streak of gospel hit albums with this release.