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TobyMac's new "Portable Sounds" manages to remain true to his signature sound, the fresh, radio-friendly hip-hop-pop, while injecting an intensity that only enhances it.
“Portable Sounds” brings back, for the third time, TobyMac’s usual spread of tracks both fun (the Spanish-flaired party feel of opener “One World” and the funk/rap/rock anthem, “Boomin’,” thundering with electric exuberance) and serious (melodic and made-for-radio “Suddenly,” a post-divorce encourager, and pop-rocker “I’m For You,” expressing empathy and support for the stumbler). TobyMac hasn’t really changed the formula that has served him and his many listeners so well in the past, but why should he? His themes of positivity and focus are enhanced this time around by chunky rhythms, lyrical precision, and a vital leaning toward prayerfulness, expressed powerfully by his soulful vocals. These very particular tweakings make “Portable Sounds” his best solo offering yet, to my mind. The thundering “Ignition” serves as the album’s centerpiece, its raucous guitar riffs and compelling lyrics adding up to an electrifying wake-up call: “Jump start my heart and wake the sleeper inside/ Hold up the flag ‘cause it’s ride or die.” Showing his usual shrewd perception of his audience, TobyMac conveys his crucial message in a winsome package of less serious tracks, in this case followed by the heart-warming and sincerely entertaining “Hype Man,” showcasing the deep-seated talent of his son Truett and the obvious warmth between them, a vital message of its own. I enjoyed the warmth, emotionally and vocally, of “Face of the Earth” and the passion of “All In,” a powerful song of surrender: “Call it my foregone conclusion/I’ll always welcome Your intrusion/You’re the master of my choosing/ I’m all Yours.” TobyMac has honestly expressed the struggle of his heart “to remain fresh, unjaded, where I’m not looking through hollow eyes, but I’m looking at things like they’re new again.” The spectacular closing track “Lose My Soul,” melodic and thick with hooks, keeps it real as can be: “I’m gonna be a daddy who’s in the mix/ And I’m gonna be a husband who stays legit/ And I pray that I’m an artist who rises above the road that is wide and filled with self-love….. I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.” Accompanied by Kirk Franklin and the energizing Mandisa, TobyMac is spilling some mad wisdom here, a great way to go out on “Portable Sounds,” the best yet from the one-of-a-kind TobyMac.
The copyright of the article TobyMac: Portable Sounds in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish TobyMac: Portable Sounds in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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