Michael English - The Prodigal Comes Home

Producer:  Mark A. Miller, Dale Oliver, Bernie Herms, Matt Bronleewe, Jay DeMarcus, Shaun Shankel
Record Label:  Curb Records
Website:  http://www.michaelenglishmusic.com

If you’ve followed Christian music over the last 20 or so years, you know who Michael English is.  Michael English began winning people over with his blue-eyed soul and humble spirit with southern gospel groups like the Singing Americans and Gaither Vocal Band long before his stint as Christian music’s premier male vocalist.  In fact, English was doing the Christian inspired blue-eyed soul long before acts like Clay Crosse, Jonathan Pierce, Michael O’Brien, and Avalon’s Jody McBrayer hit the scene.  You couldn’t turn on the radio in the early 90’s without hearing some kind of Michael English song on the radio - songs like “Mary, Did You Know?”, “In Christ Alone”, “Solid As the Rock”, and “Holding Out Hope” were some of that era’s greatest songs - much due to English’s amazing vocal prowess.  A much publicized affair saw English leave the industry, only to return to the pop-music scene in 1999 with Heaven to Earth.  That return was short-lived due to another scandal - English’s admitted addiction to prescription drugs.  It’s been nine long years since that moment in English’s life, and it seems the popular vocalist has come full-circle with the release of The Prodigal Comes Home.  This new album finds English tackling the subjects of redemption and returning to a God who wants nothing more than to see the return of his children.  As a matter of fact - lyrically that’s about all that English touches on - and with his recent turn of heart - it’s an understandable topic to cover.  Songs like “The Only Thing Good In Me”, “Feels Like Redemption”, “The Prodigal Comes Home”, “Don’t Think I’m Not Thankful”, “Redeem Me”, and “A New Day” help to accent that point.  This record is pretty much straight forward big-voiced pop that English is known for - only with a bit of an updated sound - meaning that this album is overflowing with ballads.  English voice is the best it’s sounded in a long time, though still not to the level it was when he exited the scene the first time.  His vocals absolutely sore on tracks like “Feels Like Redemption”, “Redeem Me”, and the pop flavor of “Don’t Think I’m Not Thankful” and his cover of John Hiatt’s “Have a Little Faith In Me.” This isn’t a perfect English record - but those are hard to come by these days considering they aren’t making albums like his debut anymore.  The Prodigal Comes Home, however, is a welcome return for the singer - both musically and spiritually.

Purchase The Prodigal Comes Home.

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