Echo Weekly

It’s impossible to listen to The Sojourners without smiling. This is gospel music in the same category as The Blind Boys of Alabama. So much of ‘gospel’ music produced since the post-O’ Brother Where Art Thou-era has lacked depth and soul. But not The Sojourners. They are the real deal, belting out tunes like “Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb” and “Eyes On The Prize” with passion and energy. There are no weak tracks on this record. It has the feeling of a southern church revival meeting a few decades ago where every note is believed. Acclaimed producer Steve Dawson deserves a lot of credit on this album. His myriad of guitars and percussion provide the perfect punctuation to the songs, framing outstanding vocal deliveries with wonderful nuances. This album is one more gem from Black Hen, one of the more consistent folk labels running in Canada today. There is no reason why The Sojourners shouldn’t be doing the Sunday morning gospel stages at Folk Festivals across this country. Hopefully soon.

-Dale Nikkel