Gospel songstress Leandria Johnson returns with her sophomore set, “The Evolution of Leandria Johnson”. The ep opens with the vibrant “It’s Gonna Be Alright”. I love the key and arrangement of “He Was There”. The song allows Ms. Johnson’s voice to really shine because you can hear all of the tones in her voice. She has a voice that is both traditional and contemporary all at the same time. You can tell that she is fully grounded in the old school sound, but she can still work an edgy tune if she needs to.
Many listeners will find comfort in “Let It Go”, as it addresses how to get past real life issues. “He First Loved Me” weaves the classic “O How I Love Jesus” lyrics in with a smoothed, out soulful melody. “I Shall Leap” was already a fan favorite prior to the release of “Evolution”, and it’s easy to see why. The song can fit in with quiet storm radio just as well as it fits in with gospel radio, without losing its inspirational message. The set closes with “Overtaken”, an upbeat track that is reminiscent of an updated version of the Clark Sister’s classic hit, “You Brought the Sunshine”.
My only issue with this collection is the same issue that I had with Leandria’s debut, “The Awakening of Leandria Johnson“. This collection, like “Awakening” is too short on run time. In Leandria’s defense, I am sure that she has little to no control over this, as her label Music World has the final say on track listings.
“The Evolution of Leandria Johnson” is available at www.amazon.com.
Check out the full length version of “I Shall Leap”:
