Cross Movement Records is a little outta the box on this one, and I like it. Michelle Bonilla is the first R&B soul-singer on the label, but they started with the best.
You may do a double-take at your first spin of Michelle Bonilla’s debut “Phenomenal,” thinking you’re witnessing the return of the sorely-missed Stacie Orrico. But Bonilla just may help you forget the hole left behind by Orrico. The Christian music scene greatly needs talent of this kind, and of this genre, although you hate to categorize Bonilla. She sizzles across the board; whether the tune is urban, Latin, contemporary Gospel, pop or jazz, she knows what she’s doing. While she is not of the powerhouse variety vocally, she does know her instrument, showing great control over her vocals, zigging and zagging at all the appropriate moments, and singing comfortably in both English and Spanish, as well as co-writing eleven of the “Phenomenal” tracks. See what I mean? The girl sizzles.
“Phenomenal” starts mildly with “All to You,” but the deeply devotional “Sinti (Without You)” tips you off quickly to her vocal prowess. By the time you hit standout track “Oh Lord You Are,” you’re ready for her warm tones, played up nicely against the acoustic guitars of this classically worshipful track. She stretches out playfully on the lilting changes of “Your Love,” and I enjoyed hearing her heart on the spoken track, “Phenomenal Interlude,” where Bonilla has opportunity to tell exactly who the Lord is in her own life. The title track is one of a few tightly produced up-tempo techno-funk tracks (“Paraiso (Paradise)” and the bouncy encourager “Don’t Stop”). The autobiographical “Little Girl” showcases her warm vocals over salsa-flavored rhythms and guitars, showing her vocal strength is there when called upon.
The last part of the album appealed to me greatly, as she moves into more of a jazz groove on the nicely nuanced “Everybody Praise Him.” The jazz-tinged “Cold Water” is more of the same, with Bonilla wailing strong over lush strings. She offers up a warm rendition of “El Shaddai,” and another sizzling salsa, “Cambiame Hoy (Change Me Today),” before closing with the free-flowing praise track, “Thank You.” I’m thrilled to roll out the Welcome mat for Michelle Bonilla, adding some much-needed flava into the CM scene with the richly anointed “Phenomenal” from Cross Movement Records.
