Review Summary: The former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies lead singer makes the best gospel album of the year.
Salvation in Lights, the debut release from former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies lead singer Mike Farris is decked out in gospel flair, New Orleans' soul, and old-fashioned Americana.
Musically, the album has an old-school tent revival sound which is rich in instrumentation. The arrangements are flooded with staccato horns and big background vocals. While the album has extremely grand instrumentation, no instrument stands out or grabs your attention. By no means is the music technical and most of the songs stay in the standard blues shuffle box. That being said, the music is a perfect backdrop for Farris to show off his voice which is what makes the record truly excellent. In true gospel fashion, Farris takes every chance he can get to make a vocal run. The paradigm example of this is in the opening track 'Sit Down Servant' where the first minute of the song is devoted to Farris' vocal runs with backing vocals adding depth and a hook. Time and time again Farris wows with the extra bit of soul thrown over each tune.
All the songs are covers of classic gospel and blues songs. It is in this area where the album drags. While it is true that Farris' renditions are fabulous and he is an extremely talented singer, the songs themselves are nothing new and unique. The overall sound is that of New Orleans' gospel which forces Farris into a box. It may be entirely true that this is the box in which Farris wishes to remain. As a result, a listener who is looking for a progressive artist will be disappointed. Salvation in Lights does not push the gospel and blues envelope but it gives an excellent example of what the genre is as it stands today.
