Counting 5 Billboard hit songs, listeners from all over the globe, appearances in major media publications and inclusion on Spotify’s Discover Weekly and New Christian Friday playlists, Anthony Nelson & The Overcomers – an American contemporary Gospel group from the Baton Rouge metropolitan area – has been praising the ways of God since 2015, via the incredible music that they create. The project includes singers: Melini Redditt, Penny Jones, Lynn B. Lacey, Shalandra “Dee” Irvin, Michael Burnett, Anthony Nelson and Felton Brown. While the band comprises: Anthony Nelson (Keyboard, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3), Robert Hooker (Bass, drums), Josue E.R. Torres (Acoustic guitar, bass, double bass), David Scott (Drums, percussion) and Michael Hilbun (lead guitar, acoustic guitar). Their latest EP release is “The Deepest Experience”, and it’s a stunner.
If you have disdained modern Christian “praise and worship” music for some time, and thought it was the repetitive lyrics of the Psalms, over and over, showing little creativity, with unimaginative repetitious, ramblings, Anthony Nelson & The Overcomers will change that forever.
The songwriting is incredible on “The Deepest Experience”. All of the songs come from a very personal need to tell a story or portray a message. These are not generic songs that sound like every other Christian song. Mix that with a throaty, passionate, pitch-perfect voices, and this project is very hard to resist.
The EP opens with the soaring “Awesome Mighty” which will lift you into the gargantuan heavens. Luscious instrumentation and thickly layered vocal harmonies will pierce any aural resistance you may have, so just open your soul and let this tune in. “Empty” takes a slower more poignant approach as it builds its narrative and the power of its message. This is resonating soul food, embellished with copious falsettos and mind-blowing backing vocals.
Each song in this collection has lots of encouraging spiritual content. The musical arrangements are absolutely top notch. And by turn, the lead singer – which changes from male to female vocals – has a voice that touches the heart. This is really excellently produced Christian music that is so hard to find nowadays.
“We Adore You (Remix)”, again brings the powerful female vocals to the fore, in an ascending performance that climaxes on every chorus. A gender switch occurs again on the sublimely sung “Surrender”, where the male lead vocalist forges his craft with a technically insuperable execution.
When considering the juggernaut groups of contemporary Gospel music, Anthony Nelson & The Overcomers must be foremost in the conversation. Ever since their debut, the group has churned out an impressive catalog of releases.
With their latest, “The Deepest Experience”, they carry on their success. The record focuses its theme on making Jesus the driving force behind everything a Christian does and tackles different perspectives on this. “Glory” is absolutely euphoria-inducing, as the music and the ravishing female vocals mold and service the worshipping lyrics in the most captivating ways.
The EP ends with another spectacular female vocal performance on “You Alone”. From track one, this recording strings the songs together in a nice run that unpacks more and more with each listen. In many respects, “The Deepest Experience” is more than just a fantastic EP, it’s an indispensable record as far as bringing Jesus back to his rightful place.
Smooth, uplifting and moving this is Anthony Nelson & The Overcomers’ intimate prayer of love and adoration to Jesus, made public. Each line and phrase is intentional, without a single note wasted.
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