Kevin LeVar & One Sound – Let’s Come Together (Habakkuk Music 2008)

Let’s Come Together
Kevin LeVar & One Sound
Habakkuk Music/Universal Music Christian Group 2008
www.habakkukmusic.com

Lyrically, musically and philosophically, singer/songwriter Kevin LeVar is about breaking down barriers. Just listen to his national debut CD, Let’s Come Together, on April Washington-Essex’s Habakkuk Music imprint.

Embracing cultural diversity is evident in the lyrics of the title track, but it’s in the grooves, too, particularly on the reggae-flavored “Heaven Have Your Way” and “Hiding Place” (“King J.C. will take care of me” sounds like a Jamaican folk lyric). “My Everything” has a pronounced Latin feel. And by blending CCM’s characteristic power-pop melodies with soulful gospel vocals, LeVar hammers home his message even further. No surprise, then, that he has won fans in Europe, Australia and across the globe, and was invited to sing as far away as Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the site of the Tsunami Memorial.

Overall, LeVar’s performances are cheerfully tuneful and bright, aided by his lithe tenor. His musicians provide an energetic, optimistic beat, reminiscent of Israel & New Breed. Even the slower pieces have a compressed energy, thanks to the ebullience of LeVar’s ensemble, One Sound.

“A Heart that Forgives” is a lovely song emotionally rendered by LeVar, and Evangelist Myrna Summers (“God Gave Me a Song”, “Uncloudy Day”) cameos on “Just Like You,” but the finest composition on the album is the bonus track, “You Are Not Alone.” LeVar wrote the song in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy, though it could encourage anyone who has suffered a personal or natural catastrophe in their life.

Kevin LeVar & One Sound is among the many inspirational artists who are stirring a variety of world sounds into their musical gumbo. Strains of Middle Eastern, Latin, Caribbean, and African influences can now be heard on sacred music recordings, particularly those by praise and worship practitioners such as LeVar. It’s gospel fusion, a new sound for a new age and a new generation of worshippers whose world has been made smaller and more accessible through technology.

Three of Four Stars