JGM Pick of the Week: April 14, 2020

“While Traveling Through”
Shonda English feat. Lemmie Battles
From the forthcoming album Travelin’
(release date: March 13, 2020)

By Bob Marovich

Combine the sanctuary-honed talents of Shonda English and Lemmie Battles, veteran musician Richard Gibbs, and David Walker & High Praise of Atlanta, Georgia, and you have the ingredients of an old-fashioned church rouser, low country handclap and all.

“While Traveling Through” doesn’t disappoint. English and Battles sing and shout the glory down as they remind the listener that since this “barren world” is not our home, we are just travelers on our way to a better place. English is so excited to “press on to win the prize” that she’s running to the end line, though at the same time recognizing that she still has work to do before she transitions.

From the opening bars, Gibbs provides plenty of church cred on the organ (his mother was Inez Andrews and his father Richard Gibbs of the Soul Stirrers), and Walker’s organization provide the response to the ladies’ call, especially during the quartet-like vamp.