Sunday Shoes, Chris Golden
As I’ve received several cds & dvds to review, I’ve had a wide range of artists show on the radar. One gentleman, Chris Golden, has released a cd full of Country flavor with some Soul added for a unique spice. The name Golden is synonymous for quality vocals and music choices. Chris’s father, William Lee Golden, has been the baritone for the Oak Ridge Boys for over 40 years, and Chris’s brother, Rusty Golden, is the co-author to #1 hits like “Between 12 and 33” (McKameys) and “I Want to Thank You” (Karen Peck & New River). Here, Chris Golden shares the distinct church influences on his music while providing listeners with a more soothing country vocal.
As stated earlier, the project is infused with strong Country flavor, but also a nice touch of Soul in the mix. For instance, Golden’s vocals are Country to the core, but on the opening track, “When He Set Me Free”, he uses the backing vocals from two of Traditional Gospel’s finest female singers, Angie Primm & Gale Mayes. The Traditional Gospel feel is also given for the album’s title track, “Sunday Shoes”, as well as the Jeff & Sheri Easter cover, “There’s a Higher Power.” The latter song could use more cohesion in the delivery. At times, the music doesn’t flow properly with the lyrics or backing vocals.
In addition to the more soulful sounding songs, Golden picks up some more laid-back numbers, “Live Forever” and “Gospel Road”, the latter previously recorded by the Kingsmen Quartet. Throughout the project, the backing vocals work well mixing with his voice, but, at times, it’s difficult to determine what they’re actually saying. “When He Set Me Free” thrives off the background vocals. They’re heard enough to be heard, but they could be a little more in the mix.
Southern Gospel sees strong influences on the project as well. Golden covers the aforementioned #1 song, “I Want to Thank You.” The vocal arrangement and the musical pace of the song are different from the original by Karen Peck & New River. This song’s pace could benefit from slower treatment (not slower than KP&NR’s), as it seems to be rushed. However, it works well to hear a male vocal throughout the entire song as well as leveled feature and not as much background vocals as the original does.
The clear winner on this project is “A Different Light.” When I heard this tune, it sounded familiar, but I realized it was partially because of who was doing backing vocals and their style. Golden brought in Darrell & Chris Freeman to sing the background vocals on this song, and it creates a strong blend for the listener. Penned by Diane Wilkinson and Rusty Golden, this song shares a unique message of how God delivers from sin and sees us differently afterwards. The strong Southern Gospel flavors come out with this tune and make it highly eligible for Southern Gospel radio.
In his project, Sunday Shoes, Chris Golden explores the basis for his current talents. By revisiting songs with clear Southern Gospel sounds, he automatically catches the attention of longtime Southern Gospel fans. However, the Country saturation to his voice adds an effective raw feeling making the project seem less formal and more inviting to the listener. The strong background vocals enhance his performances while offering a unique contrast (i.e. – the Primm & Mayes duo). More work on the mix could benefit the recording as well as stronger lyrics in the up-tempo department. One song, “You Can’t Do Wrong”, suffers from a lack of spiritual emphasis while maintaining a necessary truth. However, Chris captured each facet of his musical journey on this recording, making an effective and pleasing look at various genres in one cd.
Rating: 8.5/10
Personal Favorites: “Live Forever”, “Gospel Road”, “I Want to Thank You”, “Wide River to Cross”, “A Different Light”, “Sunday Shoes, and “God Knows What.”
Produced by Chris Golden. Track list: When He Set Me Free, Live Forever, Gospel Road, Jordan’s Banks, I Want to Thank You, You Can’t Do Wrong, Wide River to Cross, There’s a Higher Power, A Different Light, God Knows What, Sunday Shoes, and Sweet By and By. Album Copy Provided. Available from the artist.
