Apostolic Boys – Breakthrough
Producer: Jeremy Peace
Label: Peace Records
Website: www.apboys.com
Rating: 5 Stars
I first heard the Apostolic Boys about 20 years ago at one of the Absolutely Gospel conventions at River of Life Church in Murfreesboro, TN, and they blew me away and left the crowd wanting more. I don’t remember a single song they sang, but I remember how they made me feel, and they left me and the entire congregation with a feeling of excitement and immense joy. The group today consists of Jeremy Peace singing tenor, Jared Pace on lead, Joel Pace singing baritone and the bass vocals being handled by Troy Roach, and these guys know how to sing and know how to deliver a song like few groups can. This latest recording is their first national release in a number of years, and it’s a refreshing montage of great songs that are sung with feeling and emotion, and is sure to “breakthrough” to even the most hardened of listeners.
The recording kicks off with a spirited rendition of the Babbie Mason classic, “WHEN THE HOLY GHOST SHOWS UP”. The guys originally recorded the song back in 2003 and did a great job reviving this great song before we move to the electric guitar driven, “SOMEBODY GIVE GOD THE GLORY”. This contemporary tune is a big song and really showcases what an outstanding vocalist Jared is, as he does a phenomenal job on the song.
“WHERE MY HELP COMES FROM”, slows the tempo down and is a nice worshipful tune taken from Psalm 121:1, before the tempo is kicked into high gear as Jeremy sings his testimonial, “DANCING ON THE GRAVE ON MY ENEMY”. With its busy music track, this is a song of declaration that Jeremy has lived, as he has dealt with his own health crisis this year. The guys deliver the goods on the song and there is no doubt that it goes over exceptionally well in concert!
With some nice guitar, piano and harmonica embellishments, the soulful feel of “I WANNA LIVE RIGHT” is a highlight of the recording and is a nice bass feature by Troy. The is a fun quartet spiritual and the guys really do an outstanding job on the song.
“THE MIGHY GOD IN CHRIST” is a powerful worship anthem that was written by and features an excellent performance by Jared. The song is a highlight of the recording before the tempo picks up for the exciting, “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT”, which features Joel.
Jeremy steps back into the spotlight as he sings his self-penned power ballad, “THE SECOND TIME AROUND”. Parts of the song (especially the ending) sound very similar to Gold City’s “One More Time Will Do It” from their 1992, “Pillars of Faith” recording. Nonetheless, it’s a great song and Jeremy does a fantastic job singing it.
Keeping the tempo in slow mode, Troy does a really nice job on the worshipful and meditative, “WHENEVER YOU SPEAK THE NAME”, before things get kicked into high gear as Joel sings the powerhouse song, “NOT TODAY SATAN”. With its strong Pentecostal feel, this song is fully in their wheelhouse and the guys turn in an outstanding performance of the song. It’s the crowing jewel of the recording and one of my personal favorites. I absolutely see this song becoming their sugar stick and signature song for the guys.
Keeping things in an upbeat Pentecostal mode, we come to the highly energetic tune, “JESUS WILL WORK IT OUT”. A song with deep roots in the black church, it’s a great song to close out the recording, leaving the listener uplifted and ready to tackle whatever comes their way!
Produced by Jeremy Peace, this is truly a “breakthrough” recording for the Apostolic Boys. Filled with outstanding songs and expertly sung by the guys, you can feel the excitement in the up-tempo songs and feel the raw emotion in the slower songs as well. The tracks are excellent, and the overall production value is on par with what you normally hear coming out of Nashville. This recording left me feeling excited and encouraged and it definitely ranks as one of my favorite releases for 2023!
Personal favorites include “Somebody Give God the Glory”, “Dancing on the Grave of my Enemy”, “I Wanna Live Right”, “The Mighty God in Christ”, “Whenever You Speak the Name” and “Not Today Satan”.
