Few groups can combine soulful R&B numbers with silky smooth ballads on the same recording and lose nothing in the transition between the two. But then again, BeBe and CeCe Winans are hardly other groups. On their latest outing, Relationships, the brother and sister duo once again offer up a fare of both types of music. And to those who liked their previous efforts, this is indeed welcome news.
To be fair, this album offers fewer fast songs than either Heaven or Different Lifestyles. "Count it all Joy" opens with a slow, smooth collage of some of the group's previous hit songs before finally settling into a more soulful groove. In fact, only two or three of the songs on the album could actually classify as "fast."
Although the mix between faster and slower songs is different from previous releases, Relationships continues the trend toward including both specifically Christian songs and crossover type material. For instance, the song "Love of my Life," which includes the line "All I want to do is rest in your arms," could refer to either God or another person, whereas songs like "He's Always There" leave no doubt that the song's subject is divine rather than human.
The only weak spots on the album are the songs "Right Away," a trite social commentary on the sad state of society and love's healing power to correct it, and "If Anything Ever Happened to You," which proclaims "Without you I can't go on," to its recipient and stands in stark contrast to the other songs on the album, which carry with them an understood trust in the faithfulness of God. Nevertheless, the theme of the rest of the album-we as humans modeling God's faithfulness in our relationships to those around us-is still both boldly and admirably stated.
Similar sounding releases
1995AnointedThe Call
1994Brian GoodellSimple Love
1994Maia AmadaFaith Remains
1996Billy and Sarah GainesCome On Back
1993Margaret BeckerSoul
1994Kim BoyceBy Faith
