Let Love In

Description

Let Love In is the third solo album by the American singer and songwriter Crystal Lewis, released on Frontline Records in 1991, distributed by The Benson Company. Let Love In eventually sold over 500,000 copies, becoming Gold-certified by the RIAA.

Barely pushing age 21, Crystal Lewis is already a seasoned contemporary Christian music veteran. With each successive album, her vocal stylings and songwriting have matured in equal measure. ‘Let Love In’ cements Lewis’ move into R&B-inflected pop. Though neither hard funk, like the recent Adam Again project, or hip-hop, like the new Winans album, Lewis & Co. borrow adroitly from a number of soul sources. The album is not a vocal tour-de-force, but does demonstrate that Lewis’ voice is growing ever stronger. Some production mis-matches sometimes threaten to overcome her, but Lewis rises to the occasion, and her superb pipes always cut through.

Unlike many songs on ‘Joy’, this time Lewis’ self-penned tunes are the equal of those contributed by outside writers. Though she is not possessed of a particularly original point-of-view, Lewis and her co-writers manage to avoide cliche, while restating solid Gospel message. Ray’s «Something Christ Did» is especially touching, while the calypso-flavored funk of the Ray/Lewis/Smith composition «Enter in by the Gate» may remind savvy listeners of the late (and much lamented) Seawind. Hip-hop influences are evident on the scorching «Jump» and the equally blistering «Rock Solid», featuring a rap breakdown by S.F.C. Those who liked the traditional black gospel reading of «Better Days» on ‘Joy’ should love Lewis’ reworking on the standard «I Must Tell Jesus».

While still, in our judgment, guilty of a few creative mis-steps, Crystal Lewis and co-producers Scott V. Smith and Brian Ray have fashioned her finest effort to date. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, August 1990]

> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-love-in/1607910512)

CD tracklist:

01. Jump – 4:13
02. Secret Hideaway – 4:10
03. Rock Solid – 3:45
04. John & Sophie – 4:27
05. Let Love In – 5:06
06. Set Ya Free – 4:49
07. Dangerous Ground – 4:41
08. Something Christ Did – 3:51
09. Enter In By The Gate – 4:17
10. Father, And A Friend – 3:53
11. I Must Tell Jesus – 5:07

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Frontline Records. Re-issued on CD by Metro One Recordings ‎in 1997 as a part of the label’s Classic Crystal series, featuring new cover art. Distributed by Word.

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