Salvador's fifth studio project is produced by frontman Nic Gonzales and keyboardist Chris Bevans, who together wanted to take the band to the next level. Mission accomplished, through the weighty lyrics and the addition of new members brass man Edwin Santiago (trumpet and flugelhorn), drummer Ben Cordonero and percussionist Robert Vilera, bringing the current roster to a total of seven (including Josh Gonzales, bass and background vocals, and Jared Solis, trombone and saxophone). Together these talented artists jam their way through twelve tracks of nuanced excellence. Vilera's percussive contributions enrich Salvador's organic sound mightily, along with the inspired and sometime bawdy horn-play between Solis and Santiago (the only Spanish-language track "Te Enaltezco Dios").
The album opens strongly with the energetic "Now That I Have You," rife with syncopated salsa rhythms and exuberant horns, moving from joyous declaration of all that we have in God into a glorious free flow jam. "Find the Reason" finds the funk just fine and the first single, "Shine," with its soaring melody line, radiates with signature Salvador sincerity, expressed beautifully through Gonzales' warm vocals. Standout tracks include the horn-rich "None Greater Than You," and the sizzling and funkified "You Are So Wonderful," its glorious horns dramatically underscoring all the high points of this high-energy praise song. The latter also clearly expresses the project's theme, a plea for unity, for ending the mystery of what separates us, expressed poignantly on "Neighbor." There are a few tracks that shine just for their sheer loveliness, the melodic ballad "Trying to Be the Sun" and pop track, "Simple Things," a song of gratitude for things big and small. "Dismiss the Mystery" closes out true to form with rocker "Child of the King," rich with all that is good about Salvador, those exultant horns, pleasing vocals, blistering keys, and pounding Latin beats. You'll want to mark your calendar for August 29, street date for Salvador's latest sizzler.
