Legacy Five

Just Stand
Daywind Records

Legacy Five (L5) enlisted the producing, arranging and orchestrating talents of Lari Goss for “Just Stand.”

This CD includes two of the more creative arrangements L5 has ever recorded along with some of their more typical fare.

“New Born Feeling” is a remake of the classic song with the added twist of every chorus being arranged differently. Most arrangers structure songs so a group can record vocals for a chorus once (twice if there’s a key change) and copy the best take to the other choruses. It’s a quicker way to complete a recording, but less interesting.

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” also takes you on a musical journey that is always going forward rather than retracing the same territory. Frank Seamans has a strong solo midway through the song.

Another prominent song on “Just Stand” is “Above All Circumstances.” It’s a relatively simple lyric written by Stephanie McKenna and Debbie Ponceti that’s perfectly suited for Scott Howard’s rich baritone voice.

Big ballads besides “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” include “Faithful to the Cross,” “When They Found Nothing” and an extended “Statement of Faith.” The latter runs more than seven minutes, featuring a narration by Gerald Wolfe with guest vocals by the Booth Brothers, The Hoppers and Greater Vision.

“Just Stand,” “My Soul Is Firmly Anchored,” “Thankful for the Change” and “New Born Feeling” fall into the upbeat, lighter category. “One Thing God Can’t Do” and “‘Til We Meet Again” are meditative. “‘Til We Meet Again” will be particularly effective at the close of a concert.

“Just Stand” features strong songwriting and a somewhat different sound for L5 courtesy of Goss. From a vocal performance standpoint, this CD is in the same vein as 2008’s “God’s Been Good.” Scott Howard is L5’s best singer, but isn’t featured nearly enough.

(David Bruce Murray)