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Group Name: Greater Vision
Website: www.greatervisionmusic.com
Album Title: “Not Alone”
Song Titles:
1. I Want To Know That You Know
2. You Were Faithful Yesterday
3. Meet Him At Calvary
4. It Pays To Pray
5. Share It With Jesus
6. He Is Loved
7. I’ve Been To The Bottom
8. Born To Serve The Lord
9. The Source Of My Song
10. You’re Not Forsaken

Greater Vision is the most-awarded trio in the history of Southern Gospel music.  Current group members are Gerald Wolfe (lead/founder), Rodney Griffin (baritone), and newcomer Jacob Kitson (tenor, formerly of Tribute Quartet).

“Not Alone” is the group’s latest album with Daywind Records, and it’s the first with Kitson on tenor.  It’s a collection of 10 songs, 5 of which were written by Rodney Griffin.  The album cover is designed nicely, and inside the cover you’ll find the song lyrics as well as a dedication of the album to their producer, Lari Goss.

Now, let’s take a look at each of the songs on the album.

The album begins with an up-tempo, orchestrated number called “I Want To Know That You Know”.  The lyrics of the song make it a very fun song to listen to.  This is followed by a medium-tempo song called “You Were Faithful Yesterday”.  New tenor Jacob Kitson has a feature here, and he handles it with smoothness and confidence.  Ever since I first heard him with Tribute Quartet, I thought that he had the potential to be one of the finest tenors in Southern Gospel today.  My opinion has not changed in the least.  He has, in my opinion, enhanced Greater Vision’s sound.  Song #3 is a medium-tempo song called “Meet Him At Calvary”.  The blend of vocals on this song is very smooth and pleasant to listen to.  Next up is a slower ballad called “It Pays To Pray”.  This is one of those classic ballads that Greater Vision has become known for over the years.

Song #5 is another medium-tempo song called “Share It With Jesus”.  The song has a nice arrangement, and the group does it very well.  However, for some reason, it just didn’t strike a chord with me as I listened to it.  The sixth song is a slower ballad called “He Is Loved”.  This is probably Jacob Kitson’s most prominent feature on the album, and it’s a good example of what a smooth tenor should sound like.  Next up is the up-tempo “I’ve Been To The Bottom”.  I love the lyrics of this song, and it’s just plain fun to listen to.  This is followed by another slower ballad called “Born To Serve The Lord”.

The ninth song is a medium-to-up-tempo number called “The Source Of My Song”.  This is a great example of simple, tight group singing.  The album closes with its only true power ballad, a song entitled “You’re Not Forsaken”.

As I said earlier, I think that Kitson adds a great deal to Greater Vision’s sound.  He was an excellent choice to replace Jason Waldroup.  “Not Alone”, while easily outpacing their previous album, is not without its faults.  Chief among those is the fact that it’s a bit heavy on slower songs- something that Greater Vision has done on a number of albums.  I know that those types of songs are their strength, but a bit more variety in song tempo would make their albums a bit easier to listen to.  This one tended to drag a bit in the middle.  Still it’s a very good album, and I look forward to seeing how Greater Vision continues to develop with their new sound.  Overall, I would give this album a 9 out of 10 microphones!

Favorites: “I Want To Know That You Know”, “He Is Loved”, and “I’ve Been To The Bottom”