Trin-i-tee 5:7 - T57 Deluxe Edition

I must admit that when I put Trin-i-tee 5:7’s “T57,” CD in the player last year, it was quite difficult to listen to. You see, I have every Trin-i-tee 5:7 album and this one, at the time, missed the mark for me; something seemed different. So, I listened to it, to be fair, and then put it away, never to pick it up again. I’ve always appreciated the way they were consistent in captivating me by the simplicity of their voices, the unique musicianship and their ability to blend, but “T57,” their debut on the Spirit Rising Music label, the Gospel division of Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment, just didn’t do it for me.

More recently I received “T57: Deluxe Edition ” the enhanced CD version of “T57 ,” only to realize that I do love this album. After assessing where I was last year this time and how I’ve spiritually matured since then, I am confident that this album will do for others what it has recently done for me; bless their soul.

Building off of the great success of “T57” , which received two Dove Awards , a 2008 Grammy Award nomination, and a 2008 BET nomination, “T57: Deluxe Edition ,” will include four new songs and two videos.

Once you’ve had the opportunity to listen to Trin-i-tee 5:7 , it’s really difficult to negate the beauty and synchronicity of their voices. It’s like a perfect marriage of undeniable craft, talent and gifting. Chanelle Haynes , Angel Taylor and Adrian Anderson , the young ladies of Trin-i-tee 5:7 , harmonize as one precise instrument and have done so for close to a decade now.

Always compared to groups like TLC and EnVogue, Trin-i-tee 5:7 quickly became recognized as one of the top female vocal groups in gospel. Emerging in the late '90s, Trin-i-tee 5:7 burst on the scene with a fresh sound that merged a spiritual message with contemporary urban music styling. Their lyrical precision and musical cache, a modern blend of R&B, Hip-Hop and Gospel, is the creative expression of the genuine and unapologetic Christian faith of these women.

The clever mix of A-list producers from both Gospel and Pop/R&B genres that have come together for “T57: Deluxe Edition ” are sure to bring a surprising sound to the new release, while unabashedly assisting the ladies in hitting a home run with the message of hope, love, forgiveness and peace.

When you hear a track like “Get Away ,” instantly you hear the Knowles influence and you like it and you want to move to it. It has the same flavor of Beyonce’s smash hit “Uh Oh”. However the message is quite different; often, we must be reminded of the power of God and how much we need Him and “You’re Holy ” is reminiscent of Trin-i-tee 5:7 of old. This sound drives home the message that these women are clear about where they come from and don‘t mind going back there every so often. The song reflects a soul that has strayed away from God and is desperate to come back home. We’ve all been there and can truly see ourselves in this one, ”Reflection” is a fun reggae flava dance track about some girlfriends hanging out one night only to end up reflecting on all that God has done in their lives. “It Wasn’t Me” is the hip- hop track that speaks about the lives we lead; wanting people and things more than we want God. But when everything and everyone is gone, all that’s left is God, the Savior of all.

The new songs on the deluxe version include: “Get Away” produced by multiple Grammy Award winner and hit maker Rodney Jerkins , “You’re Holy” produced by Music World’s own The Bamaz and “It Wasn’t Me” produced by Grammy Award nominated Armando Colon - who has also worked with Lil’ Kim and Busta Rhymes .

In rare Trin-i-tee 5:7 form, these ladies bring it again! You’ll get a bit of the old with the new, exceptional production and God’s clear, concise and truthful message.

Reflective, fun and sassy round off my review of this CD. I do love it!!!!!