Producer: Jeremy Peace
Label: Peace Records
Website: www.thecombsfamilymusic.com
I’ve been doing music reviews for over 20 years now, and one the biggest joys for me is coming across someone I’ve never heard before and falling in love with their music. I just recently became aware of this wonderful family group and this recording absolutely blew me away! Hailing from the state of Florida, the group consists of dad, Junior Combs, and his 3 children, Jessica, Alicia and Wes. With a vocal configuration that makes me thing of the Hemphills and a sound that is a mix between Hemphills, Crist Family (remember them?) and Nelons, this family can flat sing! They are full of energy and have a very unique sound. They definitely win the prize as “Best Find” for 2021!
The recording starts off with a nice retro vibe on the title song, “THE WAY IT SHOULD BE”, written by one of my favorite writers, Rebecca Peck. Featuring Wes and Alicia, this is a wonderful and energetic start to a fantastic recording.
Peck, along with the late, Dianne Wilkinson penned, the jazz feel of “FORGIVENESS”, which is just delightful. The song features both Junior and Wes and is just full of ear candy before the tempo slows down for the country feel of, “SUPPLY THE NEED”, which features Alicia.
Wes does a fantastic job belting out the lyric on the up-tempo, “IT AIN’T NOTHING FOR HIM”. Written by Lee Black and Kenna Turner West, this energetic tune is a highlight of the recording.
Junior sings the power ballad, “GOOD NEWS” and it’s a powerhouse Easter themed song, which has Jessica topping out somewhere in the stratosphere on the last note.
The tempo slows down as Wes and Jessica are both featured on “TEARS WILL DRY”. Penned by Joseph Habedank, Wendy Ferguson and Randall Garland, it’s the triumph of the recording and is a wonderful reminder…”my tears will dry, and I’ll be alright, the sun’s gonna rise, it’ll just take some time, cause broken hearts mend when they’re in His hands, just as sure as storms will pass on by, tears will dry”.
Alicia steps up next to sing the up-tempo, “JUST ENOUGH” before Jessica sings the energetic, “CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD” and ends the recording (though all too soon!) on a high note.I challenge every SG fan to check this family out.
They are like a breath of fresh air. Jeremy Peace has a real gem with this recording and did an outstanding job producing it. I am disappointed with the number of songs; with 8 really great songs, it’s over way too soon and definitely left me wanting more. This ranks as one of my favorite recordings for 2021 and I look forward to hearing a lot more from this family in the very near future!
