Talley Trio

Anthology
Horizon

The Talley name has long been associated with great music in southern gospel, reaching back to the ’80s, when Roger and Debra Talley formed a trio with Roger’s brother Kirk and saw great success as The Talleys.

After taking a hiatus in the mid-’90s to spend more time with Lauren, their young daughter, Roger, Debra and Lauren began performing together as the Talley Trio.

“So Thankful” was released and from that point on, the Talley Trio became one of the premier trios in southern gospel, with numerous Singing News Fan and Southern Gospel Music Association awards.

Now comes “Anthology,” a retrospective look over the first nine years of the Talley Trio’s success.

These types of projects are bound to not please all fans, but “Anthology” does a good job of picking up the highlights, including the group’s six number one songs (“Searchin’,” “I Love the Lord,” “The Healer,” “The Answer Is Christ,” “Jesus Saves” and “His Life For Mine”).

Also included is “Testify,” which was awarded the BMI Song of the Year in 2002 for most radio airplay.

Lauren Talley has emerged as one of southern gospel’s truly great voices, and it is fascinating to listen to how her talent developed over the course of the recordings.

Only in her midteens when the Trio began performing, her abilities were immediately evident, and it will be interesting to see how she continues to grow.

Also included in the project are three new songs — “The Debt,” “The Mercy of the Lord” and “Jesus Be a Fence Around Me.” All are strong tracks; but “The Debt,” by Gerald Crabb, Sue Smith and Christian Taylor, is particularly good, with an anthem-like quality that should make it a classic in the Talley Trio songbook.