Hope in Front of Me

by Danny Gokey

Overview

Nearly a half-decade removed from American Idol, Danny Gokey -- the second runner-up from season eight -- has abandoned the pop mainstream and focuses on Christian music for his sophomore set, 2014's Hope in Front of Me. Gokey doesn't devote the entirety of Hope in Front of Me to inspirational music -- he attempts to cop a bit of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" swagger on the ebullient "Better Than Gold," a deliberate evocation of Off the Wall-era disco that grabs attention because it, along with the Yacht Rocking "Take It to the Limit," sound nothing like the rest of the Hope -- but the majority of the record is dedicated to messages of love, faith, and hope. Sometimes, he gets a bit mawkish -- "One Life," where accidental deaths are used as an example of living just for today -- and the arrangements could never be mistaken for subtle, as all the vocals on synthesizers are pushed right into the red, egged along by circular arpeggios that never let up. This glassy, immaculate, professional pop suits the CCM MOR mainstream, but Gokey fairs the best when Hope in Front of Me steers away from the pack and into a bit of early-'80s disco-kitsch; the touch is lighter, the hooks are sharper, and the feel is bright and open, not clean and claustrophobic. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/2014
Label:	Bmg / Bmg Rights Management / Relativity Entertainment
UPC:	0859381010968
Rank:	83593

Tracks

1. Hope in Front of Me
2. More Than You Think I Am
3. Tell Your Heart to Beat Again
4. Better Than Gold
5. One Life
6. This Is What It Means
7. Love Will Take You Places
8. Take It to the Limit
9. Pretty Beautiful
10. Because of You
11. It's Not Over

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Danny Gokey   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jason Eskridge   Vocals (Background)
Wendy Moten   Vocals (Background)
Luke Brown   Vocals (Background)
Bryon "Mr. Talkbox" Chambers   Talk Box
Aaron Sprinkle   Drums,Guitar,Keyboards
Jonathan Crone   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Joshua Crosby   Drums,Keyboards
Luke Fredrickson   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Phil King   Vocals (Background)
Mr. Talkbox   Guest Artist
Jacob Lowery   Bass
Fred Williams   Keyboards
Johnathon Lucas   Drums
Celica Westbrook   Vocals (Background)
Phil Moore   Bass
Bernie Herms   Keyboards
Keith Thomas   Bass,Piano,Keyboards
Dan Needham   Drums,Percussion
Drew Ramsey   Guitar
Vicki Hampton   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Matthew West   Composer
Tim Nichols   Composer
Dave McNair   Mastering
Jeff Pardo   Composer
Aaron Sprinkle   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Brett James   Composer
Marcus Hummon   Composer
Jonathan Crone   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Keith Thomas   Composer,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Stephanie Lewis   Composer,Composer
Andy Selby   Editing
Bernie Herms   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Programming
Joshua Crosby   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Danny Gokey   Composer
Mitchell Solarek   Executive Producer
Molly Reed   Composer
Blake Bollinger   Composer
Luke Fredrickson   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Sean Moffitt   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Jeremy Cowart   Photography
Randy Phillips   Composer
Megan Conner   Composer
Brian White   Composer
Richard Blackstone   Executive Producer
Ben Caver   Composer
Brett Cornelius   Composer
Fred Williams   Programming
Ben Stennis   Composer
Ken Johnson   Producer,Production Coordination
Pierre-Dominique Burgaud   Lyricist
Rob Nix   Programming
Penny Railey   Executive Producer
Dan Needham   Engineer
Drew Ramsey   Composer
Francis Cabrel   Composer