Anthony Evans - Even More

By Rene Williams

INO Records (Sony)

When one hears the name Tony Evans, immediately thoughts of power-packed, scripture-filled sermons come to mind. Well, there is another Tony Evans, or should I say, Anthony Evans. And this Evans has just burst on to the gospel music scene. Son of the world-renowned pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, Anthony Evans was destined for ministry.

Although few are aware of the younger Evans, he has been behind the scenes in the Christian music industry for years. The 25-year old has been (and still is) a backup singer for Kirk Franklin and had a brief stint as a member of the popular CCM group TRUTH. Recently he’s been venturing out on his own, doing close to 50 dates a year. In June, his debut release entitled Even More on INO Records (Sony) hit the streets.

The studio project, entering the Billboard Top Gospel chart at #17, provides the listener with some great music and impeccable vocals. Drawing many of his resources on this album from the Contemporary Christian music community, Evans taps Shaun Shankel (Point of Grace, Amy Grant), Dan Muckala (Avalon, Rachael Lampa), Peter Kipley (Mercy Me, Rebecca St. James) , and Greg Bieck (Plus One, Josh Groban) as producers. He also brings in Kirk Franklin as a producer as well.

Evans opens the project with the Latin-oriented, urban-tinged You Know My Name. The song starts with some sweet acoustic guitar licks embedded on a contemporary, beat-driven sound. Written by Evans and CCM pop artist Natalie Grant and her producer husband Bernie Herms, the track is a great one.

Fearless showcases Evans’ strong vocal abilities and will warm the palates of those who enjoy a more pop-flavored, CCM vibe. The song, co-produced by Evans and Kipley, beckons God to make him “unashamed and unafraid”. In addition to production credits, Kirk Franklin contributes a song to Even More. Incredible, a track with a neo-soul feel, includes some sparse percussion with a tight R&B groove. Kirk does a guest spot on the song, too, and provides the familiar sound of his own background singers. The lyrics talk about the awesomeness and incredible nature of God’s love. I Love You, another smooth soul sounding groove-laden cut was co-written by Nicole C. Mullen’s hubby, David. The title song, Even More, finds Evans singing about his love for God and how he seems to need God more and more each day.

Evans also provides us with some beautiful ballads. The One, co-written by Evans and Chris Eaton known for such hits as Michael English’s Do You Believe In Love and Jaci Velasquez’s For God So Loved The World, includes some moving lyrics. Evans speaks about his inspiration for writing the song. "I had to stop and ask myself, 'Am I out here performing for someone else's approval?'" I wanted to write this song as a reminder of why I'm doing what I'm doing. It says: You're the One who made that sacrifice, the only One who paid the highest price... Let everything said and done be for the One. Why should I try to jump through hoops for other people when they aren't the ones I should be trying to please? I want to encourage people to step outside of the façade we often put on as the Christian body. My prayer is that the mask will come off, we will examine their hearts and in turn allow God to do something great inside. By sharing my own experiences, I want to challenge others to find a real faith, to know the truth inside and out."

Unity (We Stand), co-produced by Franklin, showcases Crystal Lewis’ pristine vocals. The song is about all of the body of Christ coming together. The track highlights the collage of influences on this project. Evansgives us some funk and an urban sound while providing us with a little bit of pop and Contemporary Christian music. He has blended two musical communities together beautiful and arrived at a formula that is all his own. Unity (We Stand) finds Kirk providing his spoken word exhortation as well and his background singers. One of the standout tracks on this album is the danceable, head-bopping Everything In Me. Evans sings about praising God with “everything in me.” This is a hot, radio-friendly cut.

Just Like You is pretty in its simplicity with just Evans’ bold tenor vocals and an acoustic guitar. He sings with a heart of gratitude on Just Like You. It’s probably because the song has real personal meaning for him. Evans says, "This song is for my dad. I saw my grandfather's faithfulness fulfilled in my father's life, and I'm here because my father was faithful, too. These lyrics say: All I desire is to follow in your footsteps for the rest of my life, so one day when I have a son of my own, I pray that he'll see in me all that I see in you, and I'll hear him say, 'I want to be just like you.'"

Another unforgettable track is the Ginny Owens-penned song, Restore Me. Again, with just a soft piano and Evans’ smooth voice (while eventually building to a pretty string orchestration), the song is sung from the point of view of a man who’s made some wrong turns in life. It’s a song of repentance and one that begs of mercy and forgiveness. He delivers a heartfelt and emotional vocal performance on Restore Me. Here’s My Life is a pop-like, feel-good jam about surrendering everything to God.

A certain favorite will be Come Home. The theme is reminiscent of the Prodigal Son and is textured by a nicely complemented string arrangement and a quiet piano. The ballad showcases, yet again, Evans’ strong songwriting skills. As co-writer of 11 of the 13 tracks, he sings each song with sincere feeling. The same is true for the last track, Be Still. The relaxing and peaceful song is tempered with a soft cello and electric guitar. The music conveys perfectly the theme of “being still and knowing that He is God.”

This is an exceptional CD from beginning to end. This young man has provided the Christian music community with a new sound and an impressive ministry. Can’t wait to see what else is on the horizon for Anthony Evans.

For more information about Anthony Evans, go to www.Anthony-Evans.com

Feedback - Rene Williams is a freelance writer for Gospelcity.com, GTM Magazine and Charisma Magazine. She also is the author of the Gospel News Update, a bi-weekly e-zine about what's happening in the Christian music industry, and the D.C. Gospel News Update, a weekly newsletter about gospel events in the Washington, D.C. area.