REVIEW: Kingdom Heirs – The Last Big Thing
Producer: Jeff Collins & Arthur Rice
Record Label: Sonlite Records/Crossroads Music Group
Website: www.kingdomheirs.com
The Kingdom Heirs have what could be the greatest line-up of their career with Jerry Martin, Arthur Rice, Loren Harris and Jeff Chapman. They have a thicker sound and a rich blend with this current group. Only time will tell where things go with this line-up, but I can only see great things! This latest release by the Kingdom Heirs is their best work in several years and my personal favorite since their 2003 release, Going on with the Song. This is definitely one of the best releases for 2017.
The recording starts off with the lilting piano intro and classic quartet feel of the Dianne Wilkinson/Daryl Williams penned, “PLENTY OF SINGING” before things move to the big band feel of “VICTORY”, which is a nice bass feature for Jeff Chapman.
The tempo slows a bit as one of my all-time favorite singers, Loren Harris, steps up to sing “TELLING THE STORY”, before the tempo picks back up for the country feel of the title song, “THE LAST BIG THING”, which feature Arthur Rice.
Jerry Martin’s exciting performance on the Gerald Crabb penned, “HEROES OF FAITH” keeps things in uptempo mode, while Jeff’s performance on the bluesy feel of “I WANNA DO MORE” showcases some excellent low-down bass singing.
The tempo finally slows down as Arthur sings the typical SG feel of “HEAVEN WAS COUNTING TO THREE”, before slowing the pace down even more is probably my personal favorite, “HEAVEN GOT SWEETER FOR YOU”. Written by Jerry Salley and Dianne Wilkinson, the song features a very moving performance by Jeff. Those who have loved ones who have passed on, will find this a special song for you.
The tempo picks back up a bit for the steady beat of “JUST ANOTHER MILE” before the big band sound returns for “LIVE IT UP”.
Beautiful sweeping strings invite you to listen up, as Arthur closes out the recording with, “I’LL TRUST YOU WITH MY HEART”. Filled with wonderful modern harmony, this is definitely one of the highlights of the recording and is a fitting closing song because nothing could follow this masterful performance.
Recordings by the Kingdom Heirs are hit or miss for me. This is definitely a HIT! The overall feel of the recording is upbeat and happy, with some medium to slow tunes sprinkled in to break things up. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this recording and it’s definitely one I’d take in the car for long road trips, as it keeps your attention. Great song selection, excellently arranged and executed and are strategically placed for maximum listening enjoyment! Now if I can just figure out what the cover pic is supposed to be!
Track Listing:
(stars denote personal favorites)
Plenty of Singing**
Victory
Telling the Story**
The Last Big Thing
Heroes of Faith**
I Wanna Do More**
Heaven was Counting to Three**
Heaven Got Sweeter for You**
Just Another Mile
Live it Up
I’ll Trust You With my Tomorrow**