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Group Name: Perrys
Website: www.perrysministries.com  
Album Title: “Almost Morning”
Song Titles:

1. This Old Sinner Testifies
2. If You Knew Him
3. An Old-Fashioned Altar
4. Almost Morning
5. I Love To Tell Of His Love
6. The One Who Is Unworthy
7. Dying Is A Day
8. Prior To A Prayer
9. You Cannot Improve On The Truth
10. Did I Mention

Based in Nashville, TN, Daywind recording artists The Perrys have been in existence as a group since 1970.  Over the years, they have become one of the best mixed quartets in the business.  They have an unmistakable sound that quickly catches the attention of most any listener.  The current group personnel includes Libbi Perry Stuffle (alto), Tracy Stuffle (bass), Joseph Habedank (lead), Bryan Elliot (piano), and newest member Troy Peach (baritone).  Finally, Tracy and Libbi’s son JK also travels with the group as product manager.

“Almost Morning” is the group’s latest album, and it’s the first since the baritone vocalist transition from Nick Trammell to Troy Peach.  It contains 10 songs, with a couple of older ones mixed in amongst the new ones.  This album is set to release to stores on June 9, 2009.  I will say that the song order I’ve listed above is the order in which the songs fall on the CD I received.  However, I have seen different song orders at different locations online, which leads me to believe that it may be different at final pressing.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: THE SONGS!

The first song is an up-tempo song called “This Old Sinner Testifies”.  This song was done by Gold City several years ago on their “What A Great Lifestyle Album”, although the Perrys’ version understandably has a different arrangement.  Bass vocalist Tracy Stuffle solos on the second verse, and while he does a very good job with it, I found myself wishing for one of the higher vocalists instead to give it a more powerful sound leading into the following chorus.  That way, the song would have continued to build from beginning to end.  Still, it’s one of my favorite songs from the album.  The tempo then slows down a bit for a medium-tempo ballad called “If You Knew Him”.  Lead vocalist Joseph Habedank is featured here, with alto vocalist Libbi Perry Stuffle taking the lead on a snippet of the song.  Habedank used to be the group’s baritone vocalist, but has held down the lead position for a couple of years now.  His vocals feature some strong, smooth tones, and the blend of vocals throughout the song is nice and tight.  New baritone vocalist Troy Peach is featured on Song #3, an up-tempo number called “An Old-Fashioned Altar”.  This song has a slight country feel to it, with fiddles and drums prominent in the arrangement.  Peach’s voice here doesn’t have the broad tones of the other vocalists, but it fits this song style very well.  The blend also isn’t as tight as the Perrys are capable of, but this is yet another thing that fits this song style well.  There is also a nice, simple vocal move leading into the last key change.  The fourth song is done as a solo throughout by lead vocalist Joseph Habedank.  “Almost Morning” is a slower ballad that is the title track of the album.  While I would have preferred to hear what the group as a whole would have added to this song, it is a beautiful number that will probably become a Joseph Habedank signature song very quickly.

The fifth song is another old convention-style song.  “I Love To Tell Of His Love” is an up-tempo song I first heard done by the Kingdom Heirs on their “Journey Home” album.  Between the two, the Perrys’ version is the winner to me.  The harmonies are tight throughout, and the cadence of the lyrics on the verses works better than the cadence used by the Kingdom Heirs.  Also, the Perrys stayed more true to the convention style of the song than the Kingdom Heirs did.  Tracy Stuffle kept his bass leads in a higher register throughout the entire song instead of dropping them an octave on the last chorus, hearkening back to the days when bass singing was more about blending than bottoming out.  All in all, it’s a very nice piece of singing.  The tempo then slows down a bit for Song #6, “The One Who Is Unworthy”.  This is a medium-tempo ballad that features Libbi Perry Stuffle, and it’s one of those songs that is simply made for her.  This leads into an up-tempo song called “Dying Is A Day”.  Joseph Habedank takes the lead throughout this song, and this is a slightly different sound than fans of the Perrys are used to hearing.  However, it’s good to expand your horizons a bit, and this song allows Habedank to explore this side of his vocals a bit more.  The song has a catchy arrangement, the group’s vocals are strong.

Troy Peach and Libbi Perry Stuffle both have lead parts on a slower ballad called “Prior To A Prayer”.  This is another one of those ballads that the Perrys have become known for.  The ninth song, “You Cannot Improve On The Truth”, is a medium-tempo number with a slight swing feel.  This is another foray by the group into new musical territory, and I think the jury will be out for a while as to how fans will like it.  The vocals are smoothly done, but it’s just so different than the Perrys’ norm that it might take fans a while to warm up to it.  Finally, Libbi Perry Stuffle takes the lead on a slower ballad called “Did I Mention”. 

This is an album that has grown on me the more I have listened to it.  It’s a very good album, but I think it falls just short of its predecessor, “Look No Further”.  However, I think it will be interesting to see what direction the group takes over the course of the next few albums, especially if the personnel lineup can avoid changes for a while.  Overall, I would give this album a rating of 9 out of 10 microphones!

Favorites: “This Old Sinner Testifies”, “An Old-Fashioned Altar”, “I Love To Tell Of His Love”, and “Dying Is A Day”