- The Preface
- Nothing but God
- The Intro
- Help Me
- So Many Scars
- Questions
- Pray (Til I Get an Answer)
- Drama
- Divorced
- The Settlement
- My Pain
- What Do You Do
- Where R U? / Answer Me
- Reach Out to Me
- I Let Heaven Down
- The Morning After
- The Potter
- I've Changed
- No One
- Take Me Back
- The Closing
If you follow contemporary R&B closely, chances are you've heard of Dave Hollister. The crooner first made a name for himself as founding member of '90s urban group Blackstreet, which he left shortly after to concentrate on a solo career. As a loner, he released four albums—three on DreamWorks, one on Motown—and tasted some success, but eventually became burned out by the workings of the business. Fame and fortune left him, and so did his wife, whom he divorced after she committed adultery.
Once he hit rock bottom, Hollister had a re-encounter with God, moved from L.A. to Chicago, and reconnected with his church roots. There, he started to envision what would become
But the R&B aspect extends to the album's subject matter as well. As a new Christian, he had a lot of things to share about his rocky road to redemption, and he spares no detail on the album, talking about his relationship to his estranged wife ("Divorce"), his big day in court ("The Settlement"), and the closure his newfound faith brings him ("What Do You Do"). Despite this conviction, Hollister still admits to wrongdoing ("I Let Heaven Down") and falls flat on his face in repentance ("The Morning After").
All of this sounds revolutionary coming from a gospel artist, but I doubt Hollister is making a case for duality here. If anything, he's simply being truthful about where he stands in his walk with God.