Now is the Time - Anointed

Many people credit Ray Charles for creating

Anointed
Now is the Time

By: Brenten Gilbert
courtesy of CMcentral

Many people credit Ray Charles for creating the genre that has become modern r&b. Rhythm and Blues existed before Charles came along, but it wasn't until his touches in the fifties that the music was accompanied by soulful, gospel flavored vocals. At the time, critics were upset by this combination, claiming that Charles was tainting God's music (gospel) with the evils of r&b. For this reason, among others, the Christian market has been largely devoid of a progressive gospel and r&b hybrid. While this trend has been changing over the last few years, it's been a long time coming.

With the release of Now Is the Time, the brother and sister duo of Steve Crawford and Da'dra (Crawford) Greathouse, better known as Anointed, have given this emerging genre a greater foothold within the market. Balancing high-energy musical composition ("Gotta Move", "Trust In You") and some smoothed out ballads ("Now That I'm Free", "The Great I Am"), Now Is the Time keeps pace with its contemporary gospel counterparts. The album also includes a remake of the Andrae Crouch classic, "Jesus Is Lord" that features Crouch and stops listeners in their tracks. Crawford's vocals are at times reminiscent of Joe, Usher, and Dietrick Haddon, while Greathouse's fall along the lines of Yolanda Adams or Damita. Combined, the two prove to be a powerful voice of soul, with an engaging sound that should appeal to many.

Lyrically, the album finds its center around praising God for all that He's done in our lives and not hesitating to follow through on this praise and sharing His love with others. The lyrics are fairly straightforward and leave little doubt about where they are directed. While many gospel artists shied away from adjusting their style due to the sultry lyrics that dominate secular r&b, Anointed plows forward, delivering a powerful message in a relevant format. Though not leading the way, Anointed is certainly helping to further the cause of sound soul music that honestly gives glory to God. For fans of quality rhythm and blues that haven't yet checked out the group, perhaps now might indeed be the time to do so.