Crossroads

Gloryland Gospel Review: We begin the year by looking at The Veal Brothers' Crossroad. A few years ago they issued the well received Feel The Spirit. They have followed up with a CD that should garner lots of attention. The group is based out of Gloster, Mississippi. As the name reflects, they are a family group. The members are Rev. Robert Veal, Jr. (Lead Vocalist), Larry Veal, Sr. (Lead Vocalist), L. C. Clark, Charles Veal, Sr., Jerry Veal, Robert Veal, Sr. and Charles Veal, Jr. Also, contributing to this project were Antonio Turner, Jeffery Gibson, Sr., Castro Coleman, and Ontaria Showers. Their 2006 release was titled Feel The Spirit - Recorded Live In Alabama & Louisiana. It represented the guys live performances in concerts in Alabama and Louisiana. That project had all the trappings of a live recording. Therefore, the guys displayed a lot of energy in each song. Their new CD is all studio recordings. So, the intensity and excitement displayed in Feel The Spirit is not present in Crossroad. That is not to take away from the quality of Crossroad, it is indeed will produced. And, the guys do deliver a timely message in each song. The songs on this new offering are Crossroad, Gods Love, The Price is Right, You Been So Good, Worked Out, The Bible, I Feel Him Moving, Take Me Back, Ill Do It, Ninety Nine & One Half Wont Do, Waiting On The Lord, In Your Care, Your Touch, and Miracle. The lead singers seem to be at their best on this project while singing ballads like Miracle and You Been So Good. The one except would be The Price Is Right. This up-tempo song shows that the guys are able to handle any arrangement. While listening to this song, you might find yourself waiting for the lead singer to say lets go to church or lets go to work fellas. In other words, the lead and background vocals seem to suggest that the guys were having a good time singing this song. While there are no drive songs on the project on the whole it still has a traditional tone. Complete with those patented rises and falls that you expect from good gospel quartet groups. Listen closely to Waiting On The Lord and you will see (hear) what we are talking about. Throughout this CD the background is clean and really powerful. The musicians never overshadow the singers. In other words, it is a well produced CD. We thing you will agree, that this project sticks very close to the traditional sound of quartet gospel you hear at concerts around the country every week. There is a saying that a Family That Prays Together, Stays Together. In fact, The Turner Brothers from Apopka, Florida reminded us of this in a song having the title A Family That Prays Together. Well, to paraphrase A Family That Sings Together, Ministers to the masses Together. And, that is just what the guys from Gloster, Mississippi do with this new CD, after all The Price Is Right. This release from The Veal Brothers is a very good project. You will definitely want to add this one to your collection. We give The Veal Brothers' Crossroad an 8.5 out of 10.