“I Heard the Voice” by Faith & Harmony
Uplifting R&B in the vein of Aretha, Whitney, and Mahalia.
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick is uplifting R&B and soul that recalls greats like Aretha, Whitney, and Mahalia.
Genre: R&B, Soul, Gospel
Label: Fat Possum
Release Date: October 20, 2023
Vibe: 😇
R&B and soul have always had strong connections to the church and its gospel traditions. Singers like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and many more wowed congregations before they ever performed in front of a paying audience. New, soaring voices primed for crossover stardom have helped expand the Christian music audience in recent years, pulling in over $1.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2023 alone.
An act that merits more mainstream consideration is Faith & Harmony, the North Carolina group behind the terrific I Heard The Voice. The Union Grove Baptist Church in Farmville, a small town located outside of Greenville, was the epicenter of their collective musical education. “We were going to church all the time, practicing with my dad,” said member KeAmber Daniels. “That’s what made us fall in love with music.” Despite those roots, F&H singer Andrea Edwards doesn’t consider what they do strictly gospel. “When we sing, people are jumping around dancing,” she explained. “[We] call it Inspirational Beach Music. Or Sacred Soul. Those are better descriptions of what we do.”
Regardless of how you want to pigeonhole the music, you can hear what she’s talking about on songs like the opening title track, “I’ll Praise Him,” and “Come See About Me.” The upbeat, blues-tinged instrumentals act as fuel for lyrics that find optimism and undying love in a relationship with their faith. That said, the strongest moments are the ballads. “Crying in the Streets” features an absolutely spellbinding vocal from Christy Moody, recalling the powerhouse Motown divas of the 60s. “A Leak in this Old Building” is most reminiscent of Aretha or even Mahalia Jackson without resorting to subpar copy-paste maneuvers. Framed by fuzzed-out guitar and booming drums, it’s roadhouse soul of the highest order.
The six members of F&H take turns anchoring different songs, supported by first-class harmonizing throughout. Even if you’re not typically in the business of adding faith-based music to your listening list, make time for this group. They should be turning more heads.
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