Producer: Wayne Haun
Record Label: StowTown Records
Website: www.canasvoice.com
If you haven’t heard about Cana’s Voice – the new super-group made up of industry veteran’s TaRanda Greene, Jody McBrayer, and Doug Anderson – then you’ve probably been living under a rock somewhere. The group formed when the three soloists were doing a concert together and did an impromptu performance of “Jesus Never Fails” for those in attendance. The result was something magical, and the trio of phenomenal singers came together to form Cana’s Voice for select dates and recordings.
This Changes Everything is the debut recording of the trio for StowTown Records, and as the title suggest, it does change everything. Part of what works so well for this group is that they all have experience being a part of a collective, each to varying degrees of success. Of course TaRanda made a name for herself when she joined the Greenes in the late 1990s. Doug Anderson’s popularity started when he was the baritone for Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, while Jody is probably the most recognizable face in the group from his tenure with CCM pop group Avalon. Their three unique voices really set Cana’s Voice up for a fascinating sound.
This album is chock full of varying styles and lyrical approaches. There’s everything from r&b based pop (“Heavenly Father” and “My Heart Is Big Enough”), straight ahead Southern Gospel (“Jesus Never Fails” and “I Give It To You”), 90s based CCM (“Let the Blood Speak For Me” and “All My Reasons Are You”), worship (“I Won’t Go Back” and “Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place”) and Black Gospel (“Hello Fear”).
The vocals are straight up flawless. TaRanda Greene in particular shows she’s at her best when she’s got a group to back up her incredible range. Her incredible delivery on “Heavenly Father” kicks things off right, and the listener is immediately engrossed in her strong soprano. Jody in particular shows off on “All My Reasons Are You” which recalls his time with Avalon. “I Give It To You” finds Doug at his brightest.
There’s a lot to really love here. Perhaps a drawback to some listeners would be that the majority of this recording is simply cover songs of other previously recorded songs. To this listener, it’s not a big deal considering Cana’s Voice does such a great job on them, you forget that they were originally recorded by another artist. I found myself singing along to the songs and finding them familiar, and it wasn’t until further inspection that I realized they were covers. The arrangements were so strong and fresh that Cana’s Voice creates a listening experience unmatched by any other artist this year.
Track Listing:
Heavenly Father
I Give It To You
Jesus Never Fails
On Mountains Alone
All My Reasons Are You
Love Anyway
His Heart Is Big Enough
There Is a Mountain
The Same Hands
Let the Blood Speak For Me
Hello Fear
I Won’t Go Back
Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place
