Deitrick Haddon presents Voices of Unity – Blessed & Cursed (Soundtrack)

Deitrick Haddon presents Voices of Unity
Blessed & Cursed – Motion Picture Soundtrack
Tyscot Records 2010
www.tyscot.com

Deitrick Haddon’s debut film, Blessed & Cursed, won’t be in stores until July 27, 2010, but the soundtrack is available right now.

And what a soundtrack it is. Blessed & Cursed is a veritable treat for the ears, an extraordinary collection of extraordinary performances from Deitrick and Damita Haddon, Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, Men of Standard’s Lowell Pye, Shekinah Glory, and many others.

If you know anything about Deitrick’s work, you know the production is crisply-produced, multi-textured, genre-bending, thunderous and brimming with energy. In fact, the first single, “Judah (Let Me Hear You Praise),” featuring Clareta Jackson, could easily be the project’s calling card. It demonstrates in its high-energy the unquenchable power of the youth movement in gospel. The single and the album herald Deitrick Haddon as a singular force in urban contemporary gospel, even though he has been at it for quite some time. This project arguably ranks as his best.

The songs use today’s techno-injected R&B to express the timeless struggle of mankind to find meaning and purpose. It’s a conundrum as timeless as the story of Saul and David, which underpins the premise of the film. Thus, tracks such as Deitrick’s “I’m Blessed” and “Don’t Leave Me Now,” and Suzie Rock’s sacred rocker, “So What,” speak out about the troubles of the world, including what society tries to dictate one should be, do, act or even wear.

Michelle Williams’ lovely ballad “More Like You” is an endearing prayer to live more like Jesus. Meanwhile, Eric “Bishop” Taylor’s gritty delivery on “Zion (Let’s Go Up)” is the perfect vehicle for a pulpit pounder that bemoans “we’ve gotten so sophisticated that don’t nobody want to shout no more,” and then encourages the congregation to partake in some old-fashioned all night worship.

There isn’t a weak track among the twelve, any one of which could win a rate-a-record competition against any single on today’s pop charts (maybe with the exception of Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s singles).

TBGB will review the film next week, but if there’s any reason to anticipate the release of Blessed & Cursed on DVD, besides the roster of gospel stars who appear in it, it’s the sonically amazing soundtrack.

Five of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Judah (Let Me Hear You Praise),” “Zion (Let’s Go Up),” “So What.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.