Greg O'Quin - After the Storm (2009)

For some believers, gospel music is about conveying the struggle to remain fortified as soldiers in the army of the Lord, soothing and soulful strategies to endure and overcome while keeping the faith. Few are strangers to being in a storm, but what happens after the dust has settled and the clouds have passed? According to Dallas-based performer and pastor, Bishop Greg O'Quin, you assess the damage and show appreciation for coming out on the other side, ruminating over what the lessons acquired in-between; and that's what listeners will discover while experiencing Mr. O'Quin's fourth CD, After the Storm.

It's been eight years since Cliches, and while the passage of time brings him back with a new label (Pendulum) and vocal ensemble (iPraize), Mr. O'Quin's focus is unchanged: healing and uniting with both contemporary and classic gospel songs about praise ("He Is Worthy"), power ("God Can")  and perserverance ("Breakthru"). Its lead single, "Lead Me Jesus," is surprisingly traditional, with its swaying, Southern-styled foot-tapping plea to the Son to keep believers on the path of righteousness. "I Appreciate" is more than about the gratitude that comes from making it through the daily grind, its vocals were inspired by true real-life tests: illness, loss and the literal storm of all storms, Hurricane Katrina. "Convinced," with its gently-layered call-and response vocals ("feeling like no one wants me, feeling like no one cares....feeling like I'm all alone, feeling like I'm by myself. Feeling like I can't trust no one, can't depend on no one else."), speaks to the loneliness, despair and disillusion that even the most dedicated can feel when they're pushed to their limits and intones that more than ever, God is the answer.

Also, fortunately, there's just as much jubilance to be found here as there is empowerment:  besides the urbanized, upbeat remake of the Burt Bacharach classic, "I Say a Little Prayer," listeners will find their head nodding along to the shimmering "Every Little Step," the galvanizing and triumphant "Amen" and "Survivor," which interpolates elements of an earlier hit from his catalog, "I Told the Storm" and sung by its original vocalist, P. Jacobs.

Greg O'Quin remains steadfast in his ability to meld the classic issues with a contemporary twist to get his messages across.  Although most of the underlying tracks could use more depth and dimension to match the resonance of the lyrics, you'd be hard-pressed to find a believer that couldn't find warmth and shelter from at least a handful of tracks from this ...Storm shelter. Recommended.

By Melody Charles