{"id":19608,"date":"2014-08-26T02:14:22","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T06:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southerngospelyankee.wordpress.com\/?p=19608"},"modified":"2014-08-26T02:14:22","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T06:14:22","slug":"cd-review-vintage-by-the-akins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/youngfogey\/2014\/08\/cd-review-vintage-by-the-akins\/","title":{"rendered":"CD Review: Vintage, by the Akins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"The<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Akins are some of my favorite artists\u00a0in southern gospel. Their freshness, natural musicianship and contagious enthusiasm always lift my spirits. However, their country-rock flair\u00a0is a tad\u00a0edgier\u00a0than most fans of southern gospel may be used to, so they\u2019ve been quietly flying under the radar for a while. However, their music definitely deserves a closer look. (Pssssst, hey Ernie\/Stowtown\u2026?) This table project finds them tackling some old standards with vim and vigor. The production credits are simple: recorded, sung, mixed, and mastered by the Akins. Lucas Vaughn is the only outside contributor, playing drums. The result sounds very organic and cohesive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pros<\/h2>\n

*The retro album design may somewhat belie the\u00a0innovative spirit of the music it contains, but I think it looks classy. I like the way the photo is purposely a bit faded and the the CD looks like a record\u00a0with\u00a0<\/em>scratches on it.
\n* \u201cRevive Us Again\u201d is a rockin\u2019, syncopated take on the old standard. It will certainly \u201crevive\u201d you if you need a little kick-start in your morning!
\n* \u201cNothing But the Blood\u201d is a wonderful slow jam session, with excellent\u00a0shredding\u00a0guitar solo work from brother Eli. It stands out because of its dynamic variety\u2014where most of the other arrangements\u00a0are played and sung\u00a0at one level all the way through, this one rises and falls as the spirit of the band leads.
\n*The piano-driven power ballad \u201cArise My Love\u201d was a bold choice, but the Akins pull it off beautifully with their pitch-perfect harmonies and passionate\u00a0delivery.
\n*Even southern gospel productions can fall into the trap of over-compression, but the Akins\u2019 sound is the exact opposite. It\u2019s rougher\u00a0around the edges, but it\u2019s pure and warm, and my ears like that sound better.
\n*The Akins prove that they can put away their instruments and sing pure acappella\u00a0harmony on \u201cHe Looked Beyond My Fault\u201d and \u201cSweet, Sweet Spirit.\u201d These\u00a0numbers reminds me of Diamond Rio\u2019s acappella\u00a0work. \u201cHe Looked Beyond My Fault\u201d is especially impressive. Really good stuff. Color me impressed. Here is a live version:
\n