Solomon Cross – Be Free

Solomon Cross
Be Free
Crossinspire Records 2009
www.solomoncrossonline.com

I had high hopes for Solomon Cross’ debut album, Be Free. The project from the classically-trained Cross is packed with songs he wrote and wrapped in handsome packaging with striking photos of the singer, sleeves rolled up and ready to let the praises soar.

While Cross has a voice that could melt butter, Be Free does not showcase his talent adequately. For one, Cross’s vocal style doesn’t seem to fit with the material, even though they are his own compositions. Nat Cole experienced something like this on his 1960 album of spirituals and gospels with the radio choir of Chicago’s First Church of Deliverance. Like Cross, Cole had a soothing, resonant sound, but it stood in stark and mismatched contrast to the primordial power of the FCD mass choir.

Second, Cross’s songs were written during a time of frustration, searching and hope, so their honesty and genuineness are unquestionable. Their tessitura, however, is the lower register where the singer sounds least comfortable, so we miss hearing the full range of his capabilities. In fact, when Cross does venture into his higher range, he teases with very lovely, rich lines. These moments are far too infrequent.

Third, the lyrics are rapid-fire and dominate the songs when peppering in instrumental breaks would have made the performances jazzier and more interesting.

One bright spot is the opening track, the catchy “Be a Light to the World.” Here, Cross’ straightforward singing is suited perfectly for the synthetic retro background. He sounds like Morrissey of the Smiths in a moment of earth-hugging ecstasy.

Sometimes recordings fail to capture the essence of an artist, and other times they make the artist sound better than he or she actually is. In the case of Be Free, I suspect we are hearing the former. I’ll venture that Solomon Cross live, especially soloing during a Bach cantata, is quite satisfying.

Two of Five Stars