Carlos Whittaker – Ragamuffin Soul review
Posted: April 29th, 2010 | Author: Alastair | Filed under: Carlos Whittaker | Tags: alastair, Carlos Whittaker, conner byrd, klampert, mike mahoney, Review | 4 Comments »
Purchase Carlos Whittaker: Ragamuffin Soul – 
Artist official site
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KLAMPERT: Here at The Joint we are known for being honest and sometimes brutally honest (ALASTAIR IM TALKING TO YOU BRO!) Ha ha…anyway. When I first got Carlos’ EP I have to admit I was not that impressed. I mean it was good but it did not blow me away like I thought it “should.” “Rain it Down” was a tough one for me because I felt like you could sing “Rain Down” by Delirious’ chorus over Carlos’ chorus. So when I received the full CD was not rushing to hear it. (KEEP READING!) |
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BYRD: The only thing worse than getting a CD from an unknown and it being utter garbage is getting a CD from someone whom you want to succeed and it being utter garbage. I was so scared because more than anything I wanted the soundtrack of the Ragamuffin Gospel to live up to the blog of the Ragamuffin Gospel and if anyone could do it, it’d certainly be Los but at the same time that’s an incredibly huge expectation to live up to! While the 3 song EP wet my appetite, I was nervous for let down regarding 12 tracks. THANKFULLY I was not disappointed. I don’t think EP showed truly the greatness found on this worship project. There are some amazingly singable songs for the church here that don’t get boring on numerous listens! The greatest challenge of a studio worship album that’s to translate to a live audience is the stale separation that the studio brings, I think the greatest achievement Los has accomplished is creatively solving that problem! I can hear Los “leading worship” here which is exciting for me as I’m cruising in my truck, at my office, or dreaming of how to pull this off live! I guess, the greatest achievement would be that there are actually substantial songs here that not only sound good but that lyrically stand out. If there was ever a pass to get out your “Amazing/Awesome God” song out it’d be now while his song writing skills are at their least seasoned! Thankfully, Los has not taken the easy way out. I think that’s what scared me the most regarding the EP. I think Jesus Saves and Rain it Down are the weakest lyrically because they sound the most familiar. However God of Second Chances is trying to beat out Crowder’s Like a Lion for my absolute most favoritest song right now! And on the opposite end of the dance, celebration songs is No Words that just captivatingly draws me to worship every time! I think if anything, the CD is too long. There’s about 8 memorable songs here. 2 more great fillers. 2 that could be cut to really define an insanely concise and amazing first punch! Ah well. I’m just stoked that this soundtrack is not only indicative of who he is and his community but of a God to be praised and glorified! |
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MAHONEY: I might be the only guy in the online worship community who doesn’t personally know Carlos, so my total experience with him is reading his blog and listening to his EP. Based on the EP, I was ready for another mediocre worship album. I was genuinely surprised at what I got instead. Carlos isn’t going to re-write any worship books with this record, but he could give a lesson in sincerity to some people. He clearly has a heart for the lost, and this pours out in his music, but more importantly, he connects with the songs on the album. Taken as a piece, the songs on the EP make more sense, and fit well into the record. And there are some genuinely good songs here. I especially like “God of Second Chances.” If I had one complaint with the album, it’s in the production – it seems almost too polished. Given a man who’s heart is so on display, I’d expect (and want) something a little edgier, a little more raw. |
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VANCE: Well, Los’ new album is here. I had the EP also, and my favorite song on it was Jesus Saves. You expect an EP to launch with the best songs an artist has to offer, but I believe the full length album has a few even better tracks (in my opinion). I’m not going to pretend to know Los. The couple of times I’ve bumped into him, like most people in this country, he didn’t have a clue what I was saying. The poor guy had lines on his forehead trying to decipher my accent. Anyway. From what I know from his online personality, Los is a great guy with a huge heart for community. He is also a pretty talented worship leader and it comes through on this recording. I was impressed by the team of writers pulled onto this project. We have Mia Fieldes, Jason Ingram, and Philip Larue all chipping in on the song writing process with Carlos. The only song not credited to Carlos is “Your Name” written by Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam. The release of the album has also brought to my attention how social media websites have changed how albums are marketed. The word gets round everyone so much faster about how good (or bad) an album is. Judging by the speedy climb Ragamuffin Soul had on the overall iTunes chart on release day, people liked this record. Well done Carlos. |
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| BOTTOM LINE | |
KLAMPERT: Solid songwriting, production is a bit too smooth. I think it loses a bit of the Grit that I think Carlos needs. I think for his next CD he needs a live album because I think at the heart of it all Carlos is more of a worship leader than a music “artist”. He brings people into the throne room. thats his gift. There are some real standouts on here. Rating:    |
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| BYRD: Soundtrack for your Ragamuffin Soul! 11 originals and 1 cover is an incredible out of the box project for any artist, I’m glad Los delivers some creativity but mostly connects his community to God! Rating: |
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| MAHONEY: Some good songs, and a nice project as a whole. Much better than the EP. Rating: |
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| VANCE: Full of new songs for your church! Rating: |
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| MUST HAVE SONGS | |
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BYRD:
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MAHONEY
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VANCE:
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| SONGS FOR CHURCH | |
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KLAMPERT: While they are all usable…these are the ones I would consider using
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BYRD:
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MAHONEY:
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VANCE:
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The Joint gives Carlos Whittaker: Ragamuffin Soul Overall Rating:
Disclosure of Material Connection: We received this CD free from Integrity Music to listen and post a review on our site. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> > “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I bought this album on release day and LOVE IT!
I’d agree with the comments of a weak EP which made me skeptical of the full release.
However, I haven’t stopped listening to it since I got it
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I always love our different perspectives
I think they did a great job making it feel “live.” I do think it’d be even better as a live worship project but I thought this went over well as a studio session too.
Thanks for the review. I too was disappointed with the EP, and therefore haven’t bothered with checking out the full album. I’ll give it a try.