So there are gospel albums and there are gospel albums. Some sound like a gospel album should and some sound like a seventies rock album. OK, most don't sound like a seventies rock album but Paul Brendon Lile's album "What I Was Longing For" does. Like his previous album "Life After Death", it is abundantly clear that God is his inspiration – with Jesus getting top billing in the special thanks department too – but, again, the casual listener probably wouldn't even notice.
From the blues rock of "Bringin' On Love" through the redemption alley trip of "Turning To You" to the neo southern rock stylings of "Glory, Glory", Paul Brendon Lile highlights the benefits of the path to righteousness without ever preaching or otherwise appearing self righteous.
That's what makes "What I Was Longing For" such a good album. If you read the sleeve then you expect a gospel album but your ears are otherwise fooled by the solid mainstream rock feel that Paul Brendon Lile brings to his songs. It is an undeniable case of, as Mary Poppins once said, of a spoonful of sugar making the medicine go down.
On the downside, however, whoever mixed and engineered the album clearly had been denied any God given talent for such tasks and you would have to be something of a very forgiving mood indeed to avoid annoyance at the obvious technical flaws.
Still, it is a low budget effort and good songs are good songs so it is still a thumbs up for this album.
Available from CD Baby.