Producer: Jason Crabb & Scott Godsey
Record Label: Daywind Records
Website: www.thecrabbfamily.com
The Crabb Family, one of the Southern Gospel industry’s most successful acts of the last 30 years, officially “retired” back in 2007. The members went on their way and have all found success on their own with their respective ministries. The group gathers together occasionally for reunion tours, and this year was no different.
In celebration of the new tour, the Crabbs all gathered back together to record their first album of all new music since 2012’s Together Again. The aptly-titled 20/20 is less of a continuation of the Crabb Family brand, and more an amalgamation of the sounds each member is currently producing within their bounds of their own ministry outlet.
For instance, the opening cut “I See Revival” (penned by Jason and Adam Wheeler) could have easily been a cut off of Jason Crabb’s award-winning Unexpected. “Stones” (by Jason Crabb, Connie Harrington & Jimmy Yeary) features the country/acoustic blend of Adam Crabb’s soulful delivery. The Sonya Isaacs penned “Walk On Water” is a playful tune featuring Kelly’s impactful vocals, but it’s not out of scope of the Bowling Family’s country-based Southern sound.
While all of this is true, there are glimmers where you can see what might have been if the group had continued recording after all these years. “Genre busting” was often a term used to describe this family, and a couple tunes really reflect that sentiment. It’s hard to imagine the Crabb Family having not embraced the current trend of modern worship, and that is reflected in a few songs here. While none of the songs are blatantly modern in their scope, many find themselves blending the worship with Southern Gospel to fantastic proportions.
The Jeff Bumgardner, Jason Cox & Kenna West penned “My King Is Known By Love” blends the memorable melody of a Chris Tomlin tune with Southern Gospel based lyrics and is a real album highlight. In addition, “Never Been” (written by Lee Black, Kenna West & Tony Wood) features unison lines to drive home lyrics often seen in the worship scene.
Fans of the old-school Crabb Family will still find a lot to love here, particularly the Caleb Collins and Sue C. Smith penned “If God Is For Me” (featuring Mike Bowling) and the album closer “Sister, Play That Tambourine” which was written by Gerald and Jason Crabb. Overall, 20/20 is a a top-notch record from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
Track Listing:
I See Revival
Stones
Mountaintop For Me
Walk On Water
My King Is Know By Love
The Altar Still Calls
Never Been
Keep Me
If God Is For Me
Sister, Play That Tambourine
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