Fast Forward

Photographer: Kwaku Alston.
After some independent releases and popular YouTube uploads, the Walls Group, a contemporary gospel quartet of two brothers and two sisters from Houston, caught the attention of Kirk Franklin. The veteran gospel star signed the siblings to his RCA-supported Fo Yo Soul label, and Fast Forward is the product of the Walls' significantly increased profile. Franklin was directly involved in the writing and production of several songs, while Brandy and Lecrae appear as guest artists. Even so, the Walls are front and center with their remarkable group harmonies and relentlessly uplifting and stylistically broad approach to contemporary gospel. Among the highlights are the whistling "Perfect People," the coasting ballad "God on My Mind," and the rollicking "Love on the Radio," the last of which clearly aims for crossover radio airplay on the level of Mary Mary and Franklin himself. ~ Andy Kellman