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Album Review
HDTV has revolutionized the way people watch television,
as it provides a much clearer picture than the standard
television signal. And just like our regular television
signal, our lives are out of focus and we need God to
come in and broadcast His signal with clarity in high
definition. That’s the purpose of Cross Movement in their
fifth group album; they’re here to broadcast God’s
message in Higher Definition.
One of the first things that you’ll find with this album
is that it’s familiar, yet different. It’s the same cast
of Ambassador, Tonic, Phanatik, and Tru-Life; but this
time, they’re coming with a much more commercial sound,
as opposed to their gritty east coast street sounds of
old. Upon first putting this album on, you immediately
get the feeling that this album is different, but it’s
hard to distinguish whether this is good or bad. The
production is solid, as they call upon several producers
to provide beats to spit lyrics over. Producers on this
album include the following: DJ Official, Tru-Life, Myles
Lawhorne, JR, Curtis Zackery, and Nab. What I like about
the production is that with a myriad of producers it
brings a great deal of variety that wouldn’t have been
there if only Official & Tru-Life had produced tracks.
With this approach, the crew gets the best possible beats
to deliver their message.
The lyrics are your typical Cross Movement lyrics. The
song content is concept heavy, as always, and introduces
some wicked wordplay, especially from Phanatik. One song
that immediately stands out is “Card Shark” by Phanatik.
It is over this track where you receive strong
storytelling lyricism; here, Brady eloquently describes
different kinds of people who are out in the world
including the Jack of Trades (Spades), the Queen of
Clubs, and the Diamond King. Then, as the last face card,
he brings out the King of Hearts, which is God. The
purpose of this song is to point out the facades that
people parade around with and how they attempt to fulfill
themselves when all they really need is Jesus. Another
notable song is “Civilian Affairs,” which features the
entire crew. Growing up in a military family, I can
relate to this song as they look at believers as members
of the Army of the Lord, and that they need to focus on
their mission (saving souls) and not concern themselves
with civilian affairs (the ways of the world). Other
notable tracks on here include “Lord You Are” and the
jazzy “My Life Cypha.” One of the few downers on here was
“On In Here,” which is Cross Movement’s attempt at a
dirty south track. Listening to that track, it was a poor
attempt at trying to get it crunk; I honestly feel that
they need to stay away from this style as it doesn’t
really suit them well, even though they have pulled off a
few in the past.
What are my final thoughts? I’ll be perfectly honest, as
a fan & supporter of the crew, and say that this is not
one of their best works. It’s not bad, but it’s not great
either. It feels as if this album was a bit rushed and is
missing that extra something that would have made this
album stand out. On my first few listens, I wasn’t really
feeling the album, but after giving it some time, it has
grown on me, and I really like it. Any fan of Cross
Movement should have this in their collection and it’s a
great witnessing tool for unbelievers.
~
Larosa
Cross Movement (Homepage)
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