Rejoice

the take

Starting off an album with a classic that's "Best of My Love" pretty much guarantees that said album is good. It's even more incredible if the rest of the album maintains consistency after such a huge hit. Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire is the mastermind of this album as a producer, and the results of greatness are pretty damn obvious. The music on here is definitely in the R&B space circa 1977, with hints of both disco and gospel sprinkled throughout. The disco aspect comes from the production alone; while the gospel aspect mainly comes from the trio The Emotions. The trio sound amazing and completely in sync the entire time, as their hypnotizing vocals help add layers of sincerity to their thoughts and feelings. It just pretty much cements a layer of soul everyone who was involved has. "Don't Ask My Neighbors" is one I kind of relate to on a spiritual level, as it's both relatable and such a slow ballad classic; other instant favorites of mine include "Key to My Heart" and the title track "Rejoice". This album may be a product of its time, but it still holds up today as one of the most emotional and vulnerable yet amazing albums of the era.