Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7.5/10
There are some genres of music that are so rich in their heritage that maybe they sometimes seem closed off to people who cannot find a way past the door to appreciate the artistry and absolute effort that has gone into the process of making an album or putting on a show for a respective audience. It is not the genre’s fault, nor the artist, it is the history or what the music may entail that might well deter the average music lover. It is not a label that can be placed at the door of Deloris Francis as she delves through the roots of Gospels And Love Songs.
Deloris Francis’ voice is such that the door that stays steadfastly shut for others is actually eased opened by the simplest of pulls, the vast arrays of keys needed to unpick the greatest of locks is left redundant at the fortress door and all that is finally required is the ability to accept a different point of view; Gospel And Love Songs might not fit in with your lifestyle but it will certainly give you a perspective in which the senses can appreciate life and the world around you a little more comfortably.
Deloris Francis holds the hands of the listener, she eases the way gospel is perceived by adding tracks from the world of Whitney Houston, a mix that again might be seen as too potent, too diverse to capture with properly and yet somehow plays out with charm, one that doesn’t at all find itself provoking the ire of the modern day diva but instead adds subtle homage to the memory of a very talented woman. In songs such as Saving All My Love and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Ms. Francis offers the chance to relish being in a different room with a song that many would know very well; a kiss from the one you love but with a different texture on their lips.
Gospels And Love Songs is an enjoyable departure, no matter the type of music that truly floats your boat, occasionally it is better to find an alternative wind in which to send forth your flotilla; it is a convey very much in command by Deloris Francis.
Ian D. Hall