N-Joy's self-titled debut project brings young and exuberant voices to a musical genre in which, up until now, only professional voices like First Call dared to tread. Candy, Kysha, and Kristy, all in their early 20's, have been produced well by Bill Ancira. There is quite a bit of urban and swing feel to the album with prominent horns, both synthesized and organic. It's played by some of the best studio musicians, including Gary Lunn on bass and Tom Hemby on guitar; Ancira adds the keyboards.
The album concentrates lyrically on the joy that knowing God brings. Songwriters such as Carolyn Arends, Connie Harrington, and Dwight Liles contribute. There is one mush-ballad, "Love Is The Reason Why," from pop producer/songwriter Rick Chudacoff which will not need to be re-recorded when it is played on Muzak (R). But other than that, there's not a bad song on the disc. One of the highlights of the album, "I Will Abide," has a heavy Black Gospel feel. Also, the opening selection, "First Thought," is a very lively and upbeat musical request to God to let Him be our first thought.
It is puzzling, in an album showcasing a female vocal trio, that the producers have brought in all the top studio vocalists to sing backup, including Tabitha Fair, Kim Keyes, Lisa Glasgow, and Marabeth Jordan. It's hard to tell sometimes where the trio ends and the backup begins. Nevertheless, this trio, and the alto lead in particular (they don't tell us who it is), have nothing to be ashamed of as vocalists. They wouldn't have gotten this far if they didn't have strong creative skills of their own, and we can only hope that they last long enough to make an album that is their own creative expression.
