Album Review: Tye Tribbett – ‘Greater Than’
Artist: Tye Tribbett
Album: Greater Than
Label: Motown Gospel
Street Date: 8/6/13
Genre: Urban/Hip Hop/Worship/Live
iPod Pick: Stayed On You
After years in the music industry with breakthrough onto the mainstream scene working with veterans like Faith Hill, Usher, Sting, Will Smith and Jusitn Timberlake, Tye is back with a batch of new songs. Let’s see how these ones do.
The entry instrumentation on Nobody is reminiscent of the BANG! BANG! bridge beat of Beyonce and Jay Z‘s Crazy in Love. And once Tye starts the chant-like verse, it morphs into something more like the Christina Aguilera and co Lady Marmalade song. Truth be told, this song might get you off your seat. Classic Tribbett energetic sound!
You’re Everything is a total work of art as it starts off with a Chris Breezy-esque freestyle solo and morphs into a hard clap bridge that would make you want to create a disco lit dance floor wherever you’re listening to this one. I can’t wrap my mind around the fact this was performed live. Or was it? Will.i.am could learn a few tricks from this one.
Welcome the Girls Aloud, S club 7, The Ting Tings (especially the song ‘That’s Not My Name’) and all things Disney singers-esque ‘ Stayed On You’. This is the new Saturday summer song. We want it playing loud as we drive through town with friends and laugh out really loud. Pure sunshine. Things slow down on the one-liner worshipful‘You Are Good’ but it picks up into something the oldies in church wouldn’t mind swinging side to side to while clapping.
You want ‘Greater Than’ playing on mornings you have questions and you are wondering why? And when?. It’s bold, declarative and fresh. ‘Beauty for Ashes’ kicks off with this sleepy Arabian-like tune with the entry of the female BGVs carrying a beautiful melody through the song. The harmony and sound on ‘Better‘ almost made my heart stopped; Soon to be sung in a church near you. And for this line “as long as I keep on walking, You make it better”, Thank you Tye.
And surprise surprise, Tye covers Desperation Band‘s Overcome. I have been waiting for a gospel artist to do this one. And yes, he tore it apart the black voice style if you know what I mean. On ‘What Can I Do’ we are serenaded with this line and more. “On my own I can’t make it”. Lovely song. On the Worship Medley, Tye picks up a bit of Hillsong United‘s There is Nothing Like and it works well.
The chorus of “He Turned It” took my mind back to when the Dutch band Venga Boys was still on radio and made the US top 40 list, especially their “We Like to Party (Venga Bus)” song. To close up the album is ‘If He Did It Before. . . Same God’ and on its opening beat it might get Beyonce asking if she gets to listen ‘Man did you do a cover of my song Diva?’ But it morphs still into something totally different in sound.
I want to meet with Tye over coffee and ask him sincere questions on how he comes about music that so sacred and still very artistic. Cause truth be told, Tye isn’t just a worship leader, Tye is an artist who makes good art. A batch of summer fun songs and new songs soon to be heard throughout churches worldwide, ‘Greater Than’ is a must get if you are a fan of Tye and a great place to start if you aren’t.
