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What drives a person to serve the Lord in spirit and in truth? Plenty of people likely thought Micah Stampley was always a devout person. He grew up a pastor’s kid. Stampley was type of child who possessed an aptitude for music, so he became a crucial part of the church’s musical ministry at a young age. Stampley joined the choir at four and became the director at seven. He had to stand on top of a table so that the choir members could see him. The talented Stampley started writing music and playing instruments when he turned 10.
Like many children who grew up in the church, Stampley learned how to play church, but he hadn’t developed a close relationship with Christ. Then tragedy struck: two of Stampley’s six siblings died as a result of gun violence. Robert died in 1992 and Nathaniel died two years later. Micah had a close relationship with Nathaniel, and the two kindred spirits worked as musical collaborators. Tragedies often cause a crisis in faith, but the two losses drew Micah Stampley closer to God,
Stampley’s talent and deep faith opened doors that made him an award-winning artist who released his fourth album, Love Never Fails, this month. The new record is a mixture of the high-energy praise and worship songs that fuse contemporary R&B and reggae production values, as well as traditional gospel tracks.
Many fans will probably go straight to Stampley’s remake of Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up,” and that is a logical choice, as it has become a mainstay among many Christians. That track is also representative of the quality traditional gospel ballads on Love Never Fails. The title track is a power ballad that attests to the staying power of Jesus’ love. The power in the ballad comes both from Stampley’s strong vocals on this duet, but also in how the lyrics speak to the universal nature of the crisis that Stampley faced in his life, as well as the healing nature of Christ’s love.
“Come To Jesus” finds Stampley singing accompanied mainly by piano and telling a tender story of how connecting with Jesus sustains people through life’s struggles and triumphs. “Weak and wonded/sinner/lost and left to die/raise your head cuz love is passing by.so come to Jesus/Come to Jesus/Come to Jesus and live.” The cut’s beauty comes not only from the arrangement but also by reminding us that the faith walk is not a linear upward journey. There are ups and downs and struggles and joys, and that the final payday comes when we meet the savior. “And with your final heartbeat/kiss the world goodbye/and go in peace and laugh on glory’s side/then fly to Jesus/fly to Jesus/fly to Jesus and live.”
Love Never Fails also sports some good upbeat numbers, such as “Oh Gives Thanks,” a call and response praise number that many church worship teams will adopt. But the album’s undeniable spiritual power comes from a serious of brilliant ballads. Listeners to Love Never Fails will find the spiritual comfort that has long been a hallmark of a gospel song brought forth by a spirit filled vocalist and choir. Recommended.
By Howard Dukes