In an ocean of the ordinary, New Direction is a fresh new wave. The fact that the 35-voice ensemble-based in and around Chicago-defies easy, predictable categorization is indeed one of its greatest strengths, and its latest release, Send the Praise, is all the proof required. With a genre-bending mix of sounds-be it slammin' hip-hop jams, delicate ballads of praise & worship, smooth jazz or funky, retro/soul-New Direction approaches everything it touches with total commitment, in a voice that's fresh and exciting, and entirely its own.
Originated by Jeral Gray in the mid-'90s, and then carefully sculpted by Jeral and his brother Percy, New Direction has always been about bringing the Gospel to the masses in the common language of music: accessible, anointed, and more times than not, just daring the listener to sit still in their seat.
With a kicking, air-tight rhythm section, punchy horns and a choir that hits the ground already in high gear, the album-opening "You're Welcome Here" leaves no doubt that New Direction means serious business, welcoming the Holy Spirit's presence into the house.
New Direction shows some rock-solid, Gospel/R&B chops as it lays down an irrepressibly funky, hip-hop groove to "I Came to Jesus," a high-energy shout of praise for Christ's gift of salvation. "Peace" begins gently, as angelic voices convey Christ's promise of strength in the midst of life's travails, before building into a dramatic, resounding anthem of reassurance.
"Even in the midst of trials and confusion, being Christians and believing in God's word, give us peace," says Percy. "Whatever I'm going through, I'm never going through it alone, and I always know that I'm coming out."
Percy and Jeral produce and do most of the writing for New Direction, whose ages run from late-teens to early-20s, and the two take delight in staying plugged into the cutting edge R&B and hip-hop of their young protégées, as well as turning them onto the classic soul that they themselves cut their teeth on. The meeting place of the two is a mind-blowing amalgam of old and new.
"Fill Me Up" is a steaming slice of retro/soul with a hard funk edge and happening horns; a Sly Stone meets Earth, Wind & Fire, in a totally 2006 context. "Personally, I believe that some of the best music ever was written back in the '60s and '70s," says Percy, "so we take that same inspiration and put it through a modern mindset. The sound is totally contemporary, but that classic inspiration is still at the heart of it all
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