CeCe Winans (Purified) - Reviews

CeCe Winans
Purified

On Purified, CeCe Winans' seventh solo project, the emphasis swings back to catchy, soulful jams, with pop sensibilities. And she brings in some familiar names —both family and friends— to do it.

Winans is one of the few artists who can easily switch from the mellowist of praise and worship songs to the hypest of urban jams. She does both very well, and proves it on Purified.

Keith Thomas, renowned for his songwriting and production with Winans during her extensive years as the brother/sister duo BeBe and CeCe, returns for several songs, including the album's smash hit, "All That I Need". Blessed by a gorgeous melody, Winans takes the lyric and soars into the stratosphere, delivering the emotional 'oomph' needed to make the cut resonate long after the final fade.

Thomas also takes hold of "He's Concerned", a song that tells of God's constant vigil for our prayers, and His concern for us. Over a tender bed of strings and keyboard, Winans flows her vocals, moving into harmony half-way through, and thoroughly convincing all of God's care.

Nephew Mario Winans produces "Pray", one of the year's catchiest jams. CeCe sings "situations get too much for you to take, and you feel like you gon' break", following it up with the chorus "I pray, you pray, we pray" over a clap track that heats the album up a dozen degrees or so.

I Know The Truth

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"A Place Like This" also falls into the hip hop camp, with rap duo Grits in a cameo appearance. Starting off rather slowly, the cut quicky quickens with Grits adding occasional rap ad libs under Winans' telling of the promise of heaven.

Neo-soul master Tommy Sims turned Winans' Everlasting Love album to gold, and returns on Purified for several songs, including "Always Sisters", which Winans wrote together with her sisters Angie and Debbie. Sims also works "Mama's Kitchen", the distinctively-titled opening cut that simmers in its blend of acoustic guitars and laid back rhythms, as Winans reminisces of a 'simpler time', rhetorically asking 'can we just go back' when a "song was a song". It's a sentiment that her brothers have successfully milked to hit status (The Winans' "Bring Back The Days of Yea and Nay"), and CeCe follows suit here with an equally compelling, but much differently sounding number.

Other songs to note on this 13-song studio project are the balladry of "You Will" and the mid-tempo "Just Like That", which describes the awesomeness of God's love.

Sure to rocket to chart top, and just as sure to stay close to your top picks of 2005, CeCe Winans' Purified is a winner all the way around. But that's not a surprise, is it?

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Producers: Various album release date: September 13, 2005
PureSprings Gospel

— reviewed by Stan North —