Title: "Journey Of Joy"
Description: Karen Peck And New River
Chadley - May 23, 2007 07:33 PM (GMT)
Group Name: Karen Peck And New River
Website: www.karenpeckandnewriver.com
Album Title: “Journey Of Joy”
Song Titles:
1. Hey
2. Last Night
3. Journey Of Joy
4. ‘Round The Kitchen Table
5. Then He Moved
6. When The Stone Rolled Away
7. Whispered Prayers
8. Faith
9. Behind The Line Of Grace
10. Hold On
11. Where The Dirt Road Stops
In 1991, a new group hit the Southern Gospel scene. Karen Peck Gooch, her husband Ricky, and her sister Susan Peck Jackson formed “Karen Peck And New River”. Karen had traveled with the Nelons for 10 years, but she had dreamed of having her own group. Since its formation, the group has had several hit releases and at least six #1 hits. The group currently consists of Karen, Susan, and Devin McGlamery (formerly of the Dixie Melody Boys).
While “Journey Of Joy” is by no means the group’s first album, it is their first since signing with Daywind Records. Without a doubt, this is a progressive Southern-Gospel-style album. Some impressive songwriters have contributed songs to this album, including John Darin Rowsey, Rebecca Peck, Ronny Hinson, Jeff Steele, Gerald Crabb, Joel Lindsey, and Kyla Rowland. In fact, Karen and Susan each had a hand in writing a few of the songs as well. Seeing this lineup of writers only served to whet my appetite for the music itself, and I was not disappointed. The cover of the album is very simple and clean. All you see is a clear picture of each group member and the title of the album- nothing else to distract you from what’s important.
Now, let’s take a look at each of the songs on the album.
Karen and John D. Rowsey collaborated on the opening song, the bluegrass-influenced “Hey”. This very quickly became my favorite song on the entire project. It’s an upbeat song that demonstrates very well their harmony and blend as a group. Next comes the first release from the album. “Last Night” is a medium-tempo song that features Karen on the verses, and the message is simply gripping.
The third song is the album’s title track. “Journey Of Joy” was written by Rebecca Peck and Susan Peck Jackson. This is another medium-tempo song with a light and pleasant arrangement that makes it easy to show off more of their harmonies. Also, we get to hear Susan’s alto voice featured on the first verse. The fourth song is another of my favorites. “’Round The Kitchen Table” is a Ronny Hinson song with a country-influenced hard-driving beat that always appeals to me. I especially liked the inclusion of a chorus of “Come And Dine” as the bridge.
The tempo slows down only slightly as Devin is featured on “Then He Moved”. He seems to have really come into his own since joining the group, and the blend is very strong with him as the lead. Song #6 speeds the tempo back up with “When The Stone Rolled Away”. This song was co-written by Karen, John D. Rowsey, and Joel Lindsey. This is a song that gives each member of the group a solo line or two, and it definitely qualifies as another of my favorites from the album.
The seventh song is a smooth, slow ballad entitled “Whispered Prayers”. This song has simple acoustic accompaniment, and Karen’s lead vocals are flawless. Devin and Susan’s harmonies and blend with Karen on this song very much set a worshipful mood for the listener. After the end of the song, there is a repeat of the instrumental part of the chorus as you hear people praying out loud. I understand the reason that this was included, but I personally think that it might have better to have left this part off. It doesn’t take away from the message of the song, but it seems to be just a bit much, if you know what I mean. Karen and John D. Rowsey co-wrote the slightly up-tempo eighth song, “Faith”. It is a song with a very encouraging message for any listener. I think that this is one that would do well as a single release.
Song #9 is a Kyla Rowland tune. “Behind The Line Of Grace” is a slower number that features Susan on the lead vocals. Again, the blend is flawless with this arrangement, and it gives Karen a chance to show off her upper soprano range as she sings some of the harmony parts. Next comes a Gerald Crabb tune entitled “Hold On”. Devin is featured once again on this medium-tempo song, and it seems to have been written with just his voice in mind.
Karen takes the lead on the album’s closing song, a slow, smooth ballad called “Where The Dirt Road Stops”. I think that this song was an excellent choice to finish the album, and I think that Ronny Hinson paints a beautiful picture with the lyrics.
Folks, this group is definitely in the upper echelon of Southern Gospel today. This has to be one of their strongest lineups, and I think that this is going to be a breakthrough album of sorts for them. The song selection and variety was spot on. I also like the fact that solos and lead vocals were spread out amongst the entire group, giving the listener some different sounds and blends. This is a very versatile group in both song style and vocal arrangement, and this album is strong proof of that.
I would like to thank the group as well as Daywind Records for the opportunity to review this album. It was a tremendous blessing to listen to these songs, and I look forward to seeing and hearing what this group does in the future. Even my one comment about the song “Whispered Prayers” isn’t enough to affect my rating. I can honestly state that this album deserves a rating of 5 out of a possible 5 microphones!
Personal Favorites: “Hey”, “Last Night”, “’Round The Kitchen Table”, and “When The Stone Rolled Away”