I didn't anticipate liking this album as much as I have come to. I'm not a big fan of rap, and I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to acoustic music. Consequently, you would think that a guy who had the gall to mix those two together would be at the bottom of my list. The only problem with that is... this music is very, very good... and very original. At the very least, it's worth listening to, just to find out how he pulled it off. I think there's more than that here, though.

I first got this CD for the Bob Briner/Roaring Lambs-inspired "You're Beautiful." To be sure, that's my favorite song on the album by far. "Your Love Never Changes" got a lot of heavy airplay too. The song "Wonderful Creator" should certainly be getting some airplay too... it's a worship song that makes me wish I practiced my guitar more than once a month. What's on the rest of the recording, though, is enough to make you wanna put some flip-flops on and go grooving. And of course, you're not going to get that joke unless you've heard the super-groove happy "Flip Flops."

Paul Wright isn't afraid to be... just really, himself. Not at all. I think that's what probably keeps these funky grooves in my head more than anything. It takes a lot of guts to tell the rap guys, "I'm putting some acoustic guitar in with this." (And vice-versa, of course.) What he's done, though, makes me wanna dance, man. And if that's too scary a thought for those of you who know me, it also gives me a real lift. If you give these songs half a chance, I think they'll do the same for everyone. Throw in some influence by Toby Mac, a little reggae style, and you have a bona fide road mix. You'll have hydraulics on your car in no time.

I need music like this at times. There's depth. There's groove. There's funk. Best of all, there's a real feeling that, if God makes you something, you shouldn't dispute him. But, as Paul would say... "It's all hip-hop to me."