Thankful – The Whispers

The Whispers
Thankful
Kingdom Records 2009
www.kingdomrecordsinc.com

When Fred Hammond, original member of the innovative gospel group Commissioned, was developing his own distinctive vocal style, he turned for inspiration to the smooth singing of the Whispers’ Wallace and Walter Scott.

This fall, influence came full circle.

Hammond co-produced Thankful, the Whispers’ first gospel/inspirational album and its first major recording in a decade. The sweet soul group’s crisp harmonies and funky beats on Thankful are as reminiscent of its 1980s hits as they are of the Commissioned sound that Hammond cultivated.

Currently #5 on the Billboard list of Top Gospel Albums, Thankful is, to quote the Commodores, “easy like Sunday morning.” The Whispers in 2009 are every bit as cool, sophisticated and tuneful as it was more than two decades ago, when it turned out such hits as “Lady” and “Tonight.”

The Whispers releasing a gospel album makes sense. In musical terms, the distance between secular love songs like “It’s a Love Thing“ and sacred love songs as “Praise His Holy Name” is not as far as some might argue. And the Whispers traverse the same territory as other gospel groups. For example, on “In the Name of Jesus,” the men sermonize about troubles in the land, such as poverty, hunger and crime. “We Need You” is a sung prayer for those in need, which turns out to be just about everyone.

“For Thou Art With Me,” the album’s current single, best showcases the Whispers’ tight harmonies and their way with a groove. Its bright, uptempo sound is evident on the opening “Walk With Me” and “One More Chance.”

Thankful proves, as a 1987 Whispers song suggests, that some things “just get better with time.”

Four of Five Stars

gPod picks: “Walk With Me,” “One More Chance,” “For Thou Art With Me.”