Gospel music fans may recognize LeJuene Thompson from her contributions to Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers, for which she was a featured vocalist. She was the lead vocalist on the smash-hit single "Testify," which led to nominations and awards for the Tri-City singers and earned LeJuene the title "diva in waiting" from Billboard magazine. I'm sure that refers to her musical prowess rather than any Streisand-like personality. To be sure, LeJuene has a humble and hard-working personality, but her vocal ability on her debut, Soul Inspiration, is certainly worthy of the title.
LeJuene's husband Cedric serves as the album's producer, and it's clear he knows how to draw a strong vocal performance from his wife to make a solid gospel album. The talent is there, the music is well-performed, and the lyrics inspire as well as your usual gospel music. Still, there's not quite enough here compared to other similar projects from the past year to earn a rousing recommendation from me. I found Londa Larmond's debut album, Love Letters, much more exciting, and Beverly Crawford's recent album, Beverly, showcased more musical diversity. Nevertheless, fans of gospel looking for another "gospel diva" with a heavenly voice to share timeless truths about our Lord need look no further than LeJuene Thompson.