Customer Reviews

It's a New Day

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really really like Men of Standard. When Commissioned disbanded and the Winans were no longer recording, I needed a group to take there place that offered sounds as smooth as I was used to. I can say that Men of Standard is a top notch group. I just haven't been that thoroughly impressed with this last offering. "MOS Vol III" was good, it didn't have enough live instruments for me though. If you want their best work I would buy the first album "Men of Standard" and "Feels Like Rain" (their best album to date). Their latest CD has to grow on me. I do like the live instruments instead of the sequenced tracks that dominated the last album. I'm just used to liking their music without hesitation. I will say that "I Made It" is a foot-stomping, quartet-style song, but one that's for 2004. I liked that cut. I did enjoy Nancy Wilson on "Peace that Calms". She can really sing. Although Isaac can sing his butt off, I think at times he riffs and runs a little too much. I don't want to take anything away from him, because if I could sing like that I would probably do the same thing. My favorite voice out of this group is Brian Pierce. Love it, love it, love it! I can listen to him sing all day. I gave it 4 stars, because it didn't hit me right away. They can still sing though and their vocal stylings are more than adequate for those who are still missing Commissioned and the Winans. If you like Commissioned, The Winans, Boyz II Men, or any other male group, you should buy this album. For existing MOS fans, it may take a while to like the album, but keep listening. It's pretty good. Just not as good as "Feels Like Rain". If you don't have that album, buy that one. They produced that one with J. Moss. From start to finish it is the real deal. There is no bad song on that album. I found myself hitting the fast forward button too much when I listened to "It's A New Day". I'll give it a chance though. I know eventually I will come to love it just like their previous albums. It's Men of Standard man. I would recommend Tye Tribbett along with this album or as an alternative. He's from Philly and brings that Philly flava to the gospel world. It's tight.

The album "It's A New Day" was the first CD of Men of Standard I bought. I really do like comtemporary gospel and when I heard their previous songs on the radio I wanted to give them a try. This CD is different from their previous work. Instead of that R&B vibe you usually get, they incorporated some choir sounds on some tracks and had a female artist sing with them. It was disappointing because the songs I heard on the radio had that R&B sound and this CD didn't quite have it. There were some songs that I did enjoy:
Just Like You,
Can't Stop Now - it reminded me of something Deitric Haddon would sing
Lord of All - this song was beautiful
New Day - the beat is tight
Peace That Calms
Soldiers Heart - really sounded like R&B, reminded me of Boys II Men
Overall, I really do like Men of Standard because they remind me of Commissioned. Even though I did not care for this Album, I got their previous CD, Let It Rain. That CD is the bomb. All the songs were tight. I really enjoyed that CD and believe that was their best work.
If you like variety, then I recommend this CD. It has a mix of choir, quartet and R&B. I was just not feelin this CD, because it wasn't totally Men of Standard. I'm glad the two previous CD's were a success, because their new album is definately not my favorite.

I have 3 of MOS's CD's: Feels Like Rain (3 1/2 star record), Volume 3 (4 star record), and It's a New Day now. This is a FIVE star record. With the exception of the song "New Day" with rapper Corey Red, this CD is mostly praise and worship of God. "Just Like you" is a very good intro song and sets forth the theme that MOS uses on this CD. The rest of the CD follows suit, and this CD takes you through a nice praise mood. This is a CD that you can have your church choir use songs off of, that your kids can emulate and it's alright, and that music people can say "Those guys are SINGING" to. "Soldier's Heart" is a very good inspirational song dealing with the plight of US soldiers overseas. The nice thing about this song is that it doesn't take a position on whether they should be there; it just sings to them. If you have a family member in the military, that song makes the CD worth the price just by itself. MOS member Isaac's mother Pastor Nancy Wilson (who has a new CD out as well, look under Pastor Nancy Wilson) joins him on Peace that Calms, yet another great mood-swinging song. FIVE STARS:
Five thoughts to close with:
1) Isn't Tonex what R.Kelly and Prince should have been?
2) Watch out for Deitrick Haddon's Crossroads CD on August 24th...He is super! (btw, his wife Damita guests on songs # 1 and 2 on It's a New Day)
3) Cross Movement is without question the most talented and most faithful to the gospel RAP group out there.
4) Williams Brothers--Still Here (2003) is a great praise and worship CD...these guys are old heads, but they are great...and check out how they are on their OWN label, Blackberry records
5) Watch out for MY book of Christian Poetry coming out soon: Consider Your Ways by Salih Alexander...Coming August 2004 on Amazon.com!

God bless you.

The cd is okay(and I am a big MOS fan)...............I was kinda expecting more but overall the songs are nice but the album is sooo short.

This album is so much better than the last one; you can feel the effort and although I'm not happy with the lack of tracks, what they do offer is great.
The band is cool (why is Maurice Fitzgerald and Joey Woolfolk on every CD now??lol??) and I love the use of live instruments throughout.
Musically if you like Deitrick Haddon you'd enjoy this. Their vocals really are good on this CD and well Isaac Carree is just Isaac...and Lowell is Lowell - the others don't lead that much.
Cuts that stand out the most have to be 'Fight On' (HOTTT!!) 'Testify' and track 9 - the name escapes me.
I really think you should get this CD, I can guarantee you'll enjoy it - I wouldn't say it otherwise. Bless.

I have all 4 of the MOS cd's and "It's a New Day" is just another example of their true love for our Lord Jesus Christ and the annointing they are gifted with. Although "Feels Like Rain" to me is by far the greatest and most spiritually inspirational cd out of the four, this latest handful of songs is great to listen to whenever, whatever you're going through. The song "I Worship Only You" really touches my heart and I can't get enough of it when I play it over, and over, and over again. They're a great group of strong, spiritual black men, and I'd really love them to put together a Christmas cd; that would be awesome!

This is my first Men of Standard CD, but it won't be my last. I've already placed an order for their first releases. I hate to call them a quartet, because these boys can sang their butts off - unlike most groups known as "quartets". They have a harmony that I've not enjoyed in Gospel music since the days of the original Commissioned - and that "Ike" fella is HOT, HOT, HOT! If you get this CD, you get a little of every flava of Gospel you're looking for. Men of Standard has set the standard for future male gospel groups, for sure.