Shelia Moore Piper hits off her latest release Are You Ready Chapter 2 with Get Excited, a soulful effort that turns up the tempo considerably with hopeful vocals, inspired brass, and an on-point percussive element. What a Friend (feat. Gene Moore Jr., Derrick Leon & Tachina Danielle) is a tremendously complex track; the contribution of each element during this composition makes for a varied and deep arrangement that stands up to repeat listens.
There is a modern approach that is taken to Are You Ready Chapter 2, redefining gospel and praise music while still keeping devotion and love as focal points of Piper’s music. Let’s Praise (featuring Monica Williams) is a tender track with instrumentation that lifts and highlights the rich vocals presented. A twinkling set of arrangements on this effort gives listeners plenty to appreciate. Worship Song (Hallelujah Song) slows things down to solely allow Piper to express her unending devotion to Jesus Christ; the talent exuded by Piper during this effort absolutely shatters the conception that the later parts of an album must be weaker than the opening strains. He Must Reign is the penultimate track on Are You Ready Chapter 2, providing fans with a back and forth between vocals and instrumentation that builds off of a blues tradition. With each element working their hardest, this track dovetails nicely into the disc’s final expression, Lift Him Up. Funk and brass are added into the mix here, giving the concluding moments of the album a rich and full feeling.
Shelia Moore Piper’s Are You Ready Chapter 2 is available from CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon. Additional information about Shelia can be found on her domain and social media sites.
Top Tracks: What a Friend, Worship Song (Hallelujah Song)
Rating: 8.9/10
Shelia Moore Piper Are You Ready Chapter 2 CD Review / 2014 Bdm/ Ugroove Music / 12 Tracks / http://www.sheliamoorepiper.com/ / http://www.twitter.com/msshelia / http://www.facebook.com/mssheeshee /