Isaac Simpson & Divine Providence – The Process

Isaac Simpson & Divine Providence
The Process
SoulStride Records/EMI Gospel (2012)
http://www.isaacsimpson.com/

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Isaac Simpson is not afraid to say that he has been through some rough experiences in his lifetime.

On The Process, a live recording made in Columbus, Ohio, the singer-songwriter and his group Divine Providence, or DP, convert their sorrows and joys into moments of musical catharsis.

The Process is a satisfying album of hard-hitting and muscular P&W, contemporary ballads, gospel singing and bench-shaking choral numbers. The ensemble follows the same diverse strategy in its lyric content, balancing vertical praise songs with selections about encouragement, hope and deliverance.

One of the songs of encouragement, “He Made a Way,” featuring leads by Lowell Pye and Simpson, illustrates in a simple P&W melody how God never fails.  “Hide In Me” is a warm ballad that portrays Jesus as a father figure who wraps His children in His garment to keep them safe and secure.  On the title track, Simpson uses the metaphor of polishing gold to teach how one must go through a process of trials by fire to become purified.

Two rousing choir selections, “So Good” (which interpolates a smidgen of the classic “God Has Smiled on Me”) and “Already Made a Way,” add trad cred to the album.  “Already Made a Way” has an aggressive sound, evocative of full force Chicago Mass Choir.  Adding gasoline to the flame, Lillian Lloyd leads the singing like an evangelist at the apex of her message.

Isaac Simpson’s own singing is almost as raw and extroverted as Lloyd’s, and the whole project benefits from a team of lead vocalists who offer lovely gospel solos throughout The Process.  Deserving of special mention is Keshia Briggs, who leads “Jesus is Real” with bright and loving tenderness.

An intense vocal solo on the Tommies’ classic “Safe in His Arms” seems parenthetical to the project (it would have been even stronger as a piece for full choir) as does the reprise of “Hide in Me.” Overall, however, The Process provides a gratifying mix of gospel styles with powerful singing and musicianship.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “He Made a Way,” “The Process.”