it’s Showtime.
Eben in an interview said the album is an announcement of a new leaf after the ravaged year of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. He uses the album to announce and celebrate the new era: the new era of harvest. The Album is birthed out of inspiration spanning 4 years. It is therefore easy to understand his intentionality on this masterpiece.
The fundamentals of Gospel music have remained the same over the years.The Holy book, the church’s doctrines and beliefs, sentiments are the readily available contents foundations on which Gospel sounds are built. It usually revolves around praising and worshipping God, prophetic declarations, ;albeit different wording or form, it embodies similar intents.So in terms of content for gospel music one could probably say it is limited.
In The Harvest, Eben touches on the various pillars of Gospel Music, he however exhibits the modern tendency to employ unconventional genres to achieve his aim. He ventures into rock, dancehall and 19s pop ; very unusual sounds in this industry .A fact that Eben also realizes and expressed his joy and excitement for us to hear. Eben cascades through these various genres, harnessing them like their more familiar counterparts.
The harvest kicks off the album with a bouncy rhythm aimed at thanksgiving, celebrating God’s love and blessings as well. Soothing vocals of ‘oh’ create a beautiful ambience for oh I will bless. The song embodies a solemn resolution to bless God and him alone. It also contains a reaffirmation of the persona of God. In Yahweh, one of the Choristers totally bodies this song with her charismatic delivery of the song. A song that Eben claims sometimes draws him to tears; an emotional and powerful delivery. Eben rocks in liquid love. Liquid love is one of the unexpected twists in the album, a rock track that appears like a love letter. In it he declares his love for he who loved us first. He also expresses his amazement at the depth of the love. No shadow of turning returns to the more familiar soundS of gospel genre. He celebrates the never failing God and that fact is the source of his peace and Joy.
Jesus power throws us into a time machine and launches us back in time to the late 19s Pop era dominated by Michael Jackson. It also bears a slight semblance to daft punk and Pharell’s Get Lucky. It feels like a fusion of those two songs with thriller being the dominant part. While employing this ‘secular sounds’, the song celebrates the power and supremacy of God. Eben also unashamedly displays the M.J influence by also infusing the iconic screams of the late legend which adds gloss to the track. Talk about break dancing and moon walking in the spirit, best song on the album. Hee hee
You are great is simply a worship to the great God. Bellows of Halle! Halle! Halle! And beautiful instrumental sequences decorate and characterize Hallelujah song. Another thanksgiving and worship song dedicated to Jesus who has done it again. It also includes a resolution to forever worship. Eben journeys to the East for Joy Joy. He once again adopts another style, the traditional woror to declare Joy irrespective of present conditions. This one will definitely keep you on your feet dancing. Sekem sekem.
Eben and his Wife Jahdiel.
The album boasts of an interesting mesh of genres, alternating between the familiar and the unconventional sounds in its delivery. Powerful and daring personified especially in Jesus power, Eben plows through this genres, harnessing them to God’s praise. Eben displays a surreal vocal and talent range from one style to the other. The only drawback to these bold moves is the listeners’’ having to consistently adjust to the new sound. These adjustings however dissolves seconds into every track and is replaced by spiritual awe. Eben rocks!
Whitelion!
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