In a press release issued today at SoGospelNews.com, the Dove Brothers announced that Jerry Kelso is leaving the group and that Adam Harman will be filling the piano bench. Harman was with the Kingdom Heirs for several years, and is probably one of the most underrated pianists in SG music.

My prediction of the group hiring Andrew Ishee was wrong, but this is a great hire as well. Harman’s style will fit the group well, especially in the modern country sound they’ve adopted on their recent projects. When I thought of Ishee, I was thinking of their “Didn’t It Rain” material mostly, but Harman’s playing will supplement that well, too.

Best of luck to Jerry Kelso, and welcome aboard, Adam Harman!

Rating: 4 stars

Producer: Donna Beauvais
Label: Anchormen Music Group
Website: www.theanchormen.com

Buy This Project

The Anchormen is a name that Southern Gospel fans should be very familiar with. Through the years, this quartet has turned out great music and had one great lineup after another. Anchormen alumni include several recognizable names in the industry, names like Jeff Chapman, Steve Ladd, Tony Jarman, David Hester, Bryan Elliot, and Aaron McCune, among others. In recent years, however, it seems the group has struggled to keep a lineup together and the Anchormen name has somewhat faded into the background. The obvious question here is this: Is this lineup of The Anchormen any different?

This project seeks to answer that question with a resounding “Yes!” Today’s lineup of tenor Karl Rice, lead Keith Casstevens, baritone Michael Bartlett, and bass Paul Harkey is arguably the best one they’ve had in recent years.

The album itself is a collection of songs that give the listener an Anchormen lineup that sets itself apart from the others; the sound is “today,” while still very much the quartet sound fans love. The opening track demonstrates the change in the group’s sound with a Progressive tune, and the rest of the song is a mix of country-flavored tracks and a few powerful slower songs. Bass singer Paul Harkey in particular shines on the project, recalling the sound of the great basses the group has had through the years. He has a nice wide range as well, getting into “Tim Riley territory” (h/t, DBM) on songs like “Everything But Time,” but then displaying a smooth and surprising upper range on “The Letter.”

Bottom line: if The Anchormen can keep this lineup for a while, they will start garnering some well-deserved attention from the industry.