Jessica Dalla Torre – The Gospel is Jesus (EP)

Jessica Dalla Torre
The Gospel is Jesus (EP)
Independent (release date: June 28, 2024)

By Robert M. Marovich

Born to Portuguese parents, Johannesburg, South Africa’s Jessica Dalla Torre is a CCM singer-songwriter whose voice has a sunshiny spirit, though she can, on occasion, belt lines with the passion of a Broadway doyenne.

Her latest release is a six-track EP called The Gospel is Jesus. The title track, one of the EP’s two singles and its finest track, contains a refrain that moves with the staccato formality of a hymn. One can envision congregations singing the refrain either with music or a cappella, with equal beauty. The other single, “Keep My Eyes on You,” is brassy, compellingly upbeat, and presented in two versions on the EP. The finest of the two is a duet between Jessica and fellow South African vocalist Loyiso Bala of the Bala Brothers.

Aside from the singles, there’s “I Will Follow You,” a dramatic declaration of discipleship, the acoustic ballad “Letters,” and the tuneful “Living Water.” Each of the six tracks are lovingly rendered, crisply produced, crowd pleasing, and arranged with a definite pop sensibility. The Gospel is Jesus sounds as hopeful as its lyrics are earnest.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “The Gospel is Jesus,” “Keep My Eyes on You”