- Let Go
- Made a Way
- You Shall Reap
- Strong Tower
- DeWayne's Testimony
- God Still Heals
- Sunshine (feat. Candy West)
- Bid Me to Come
- You Mean the World to Me
- I Wanna Be Where You Are
- I Lift My Hands
- (Bonus) God Is (feat. The Tri-City Singers)
Gospel music thrives on protégés. Israel Houghton graduated from Fred Hammond's Radical for Christ. Myron Butler learned at the feet of Kirk Franklin. Kierra "KiKi" Sheard was home-schooled by her mother, Karen Clark-Sheard. Newcomer DeWayne Woods isn't far behind, getting his education from not one, but
His debut,
On the other hand, Woods is a dependable singer in his own right—unlike Lawrence, who fares better as a songwriter, producer and choir director than anything else—shining bright in the breathtaking "Let Go," a classic-in-the-making like no other. But as stirring and elegant as "Let Go" is, at the same time it exposes the album's biggest shortcoming, and that is its over-reliance on gospel ballads. Of
These are exceptionally produced, but they misrepresent Woods' age and talent (not to mention fashion sense; judging from the photos in the album's liner notes, I was expecting a Tonéx soundalike). "Strong Tower" and "God Is" pick up the pace and infuse some choral energy into the mix, but by the time they come on, the album is already too calm for its own good. But then again, this is only an introduction; time will tell if Woods can offer something of the caliber of those who taught him.