Album Review: Tasha Cobbs – ‘One Place (Live)’
Artist: Tasha Cobbs
Album: One Place (Live)
Street Date: 8/21/15
Record Label: Motown Gospel
Genre: Gospel
iPod Pick: You Still Love Me
Tasha Cobbs rose fast to be one of worship music’ biggest name in 2012 after covering United Pursuit‘s Break Every Chain (originally penned by Will Reagan and also formerly covered by Jesus Culture) on her ‘Grace’ project, an eight track project that would definitely pass for a full album instead of an EP due to quality of content. In fact Tasha’s cover took the song to the charts for the first time ever, breaking boundaries and chains on the worship music frontiers. (it’s good to note early enough in this review that On One Place Live, Tasha also covers beautifully ‘Fill Me Up’ a song already recorded by Jesus Culture and also written and first recorded by the United Pursuit band. More on that later.)
After enjoying every step of the sound on ‘Grace’ I have wondered at times how Tasha would top such a sincere, poetic, upbeat and lyrically well developed album. Voilá! She shows up with TheOne Place Live project which features artistes from a wide genre including the eclectic, sassy, young and talented Jamie Grace from Gottee records and the Gospel force Kierra ‘Kiki; Sheard.
The album features 16 tracks (deluxe edition) with its title track ‘One Place‘ being a mellow and worshipful track of intentionally living before the presence of God. On the title track One Place, Tasha sings “I’m here because I wanna be. I’m here because I choose to be. I’m here because I love to be. . . In your presence“. This is followed immediately with the interlude-esque or say the famously known spontaneous moments by the Bethel or Jesus Culture group styled session called ‘I Love This Place‘. There are other tracks like this including the declarative and imperative ‘Jesus Did It‘ and the innovative ‘Christmas Praise‘ praise break , all not having the format of a classic song.
The song ‘Fill Me Up‘ brings in some raw and honest moment in worship. The BGVs, instrumentation and ad lib are just perfect. The track ‘Overflow‘ is an overflow of ‘Fill Me Up‘. Tasha and her Back ups sing sweetly repeatedly ‘ fill me up, till I overflow. I wanna run over. I wanna run over‘. ‘Jesus Saves‘ follows the like worshipful moments on Fill Me Up. So does the song ‘Sense It‘
This is Freedom comes across as lyrically cliched, loose and weak though very upbeat. The A Capella like harmony that begins the track with Bishop Paul S. Morton and Pastor William Murphy called I’d Do It Again is almost everything and so beautiful. It’s grounding and might instantly become an iPod pick winner for you. Musically, It’s bluesy on it edges and kind of Motown somewhere at its core. It grows into a beautiful full blown chant of ‘Yes I Will Do It Again‘ just like the classic Gregorian chants or to be less intense, more like a style Audrey Assad used on her ‘Fortunate Fall’ record or say something the eclectic Bjork would readily adopt for a record idea.
Put a Praise On It which features the adorable Kierra Sheard is such an energetic song. You can’t be still listening. The starting line ‘There’s a miracle in this room with my name on it‘ is an awakening, like a glass on cold water on the face. Ironically, I Will Run seems like a song that would find it self on a Kierra Sheard record. It’s rocky and I’m sure Bono of U2 and Brandon Flowers of The Killers would be proud. It’s semi- anthemic. You can sync a calisthenics movement as Tasha sings ‘I will run the race set before me. I will run . . . My soul pants for God and God alone.’ I love ‘Sense It‘. It’s personal, honest, prayerful and prophetic.
Solid Rock which features the beautiful Jamie is a breath of fresh air utilizing stripped down instrumentation that features an acoustic guitar and a tumba-esque drums. On a lighter note, Jamie made Tasha go a bit country and Tasha made Jamie go gospel with those ad lib Jamie yelps towards the end.
You still Love Me features some of the best lyrics it have heard this year (yeah ranking along the amazing lyricism on Of Monsters and Men‘s Empire). Tasha sings with a cool vibe “I don’t mean to be emotional. Sometimes I cry, when I think of all the pain that I caused you inside. . . You still love me.”
On One Place Live, we hear preparation, we hear hard-work and we also hear talent and the anointing. On hearing the record first off it immediately occurred to me the hardworking and skill channeled into each track (including the interludes!) and I couldn’t but review each song.
Fans of Tasha Cobbs shouldn’t hesitate to get on this one. And first timers, it’s all the vibe goodies ALL IN ONE PLACE!
