FamilyFans Music

###

BELIEVER

Javen / JCM - jRock Entertainment Group Inc.

Fan Appeal: Teens to Adult

Genre: Pop/R&B

Javen may be a name you’ve not heard of – yet. His latest release, Believer, is actually his fourth album. His debut single back in 2002, “Never Give Up On Love,” was well-received and charted in the top ten on Christian charts. It was followed up with a self-titled debut album with Word Records. His next, an independent project for 2004, entitled Change, showed promise and continued the momentum. Then there was his Christmas CD, Christmas With Javen.

Believer, released September 5, 2006, includes an impressive list of guest appearances, including Deitrick Haddon, Jamie Jones, Tim Miner and one of my personal favorite gospel artists, Israel Houghton. Several tunes on the project should continue the momentum and make believers out of gospel fans who can lay hands on a copy.

What you may not know about Javen is that he’s more than a very accomplished musician and writer. He’s the son of a preacher and this has given him many opportunities to perform musically and with the spoken word all over the world and perform with the likes of Kirk Franklin, Jerry Lewis, Reba McIntire, Bill Gaither and more. He is also an actor with reoccurring lead performances in the off-Broadway musical, The Rock & The Rabbi, and he stars in the upcoming move, One Night With The King, set to release in theatres on October 13^th.

So what about the music? Well, I happen to feel, after working with him in The Rock & The Rabbi and seeing him knock audiences over, that what makes people believers in Javen is his powerful vocal intensity. When this man gets going, chills start flowing. He can really wail. Why he chose to hold back on a good part of this project is a mystery to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I happen to enjoy this project very much. The songs are all very pleasing to the ear and the message is clear and relevant. Javen’s falsetto voice is smooth and mellow. If you’re a real gospel / R&B fan, you’ll find some ear-candy on this project you’ll really appreciate. For example, the CD starts out very strong with an interesting upbeat tune called “All I Ever Wanted.” Next is a string of more mellow selections – all very nicely done, and Javen’s vocals are smooth and sincere. But where Javen really shines is the power vocals department. I found myself flipping through the tunes looking for such moments.

Even the punchy, upbeat “Celebrate” only comes close to where Javen cuts loose and wails. “Dance” offers a very interesting “Latinized” feel and picks up the pace a bit. But it’s not until you reach “Another Day” when you finally get a feel for the power of Javen with his sustained vocal range and intensity. This cut gives me chills and reminds me of moments in the show when Javen used to leave audiences with their chins on the floor and their hands in the air.

Probably my biggest disappointment was the duet with Israel Houghton. I know what both of these powerhouse gospel artists are capable of – so when I heard there was a duet, I skipped right to it. But, like many of the other tunes, it’s nice, but falls short of my hopeful expectations.

A few of the tracks may have been better off on the cutting room floor. “Sunday Morning” is a personal dedication to Javen’s family but it goes nowhere quickly and just lingers there. And, I was disappointed in the oversimplified lyrics of “I Find You.”

Overall, the project is definitely worth listening to. The various producers give the project an eclectic feel and each tune is certainly unique. The good moments are able to hold the project up and the others in between are sincere and very well produced. I only wish there were a few more tunes that showcase Javen’s real vocal ability. That’s what would have really made Believer true to its name.

FAMILYFANS RATING:C+

--Eric Jaqua

###