Believer should be the album that introduces Javen Campbell to urban adult contemporary audiences and strengthens his base among Gospel listeners. Bearing a tenor voice that at times sounds like Carl Anderson but which is similar in phrasing to BeBe Winans, Javen has put together an enjoyable, relatively mellow album that doesn’t tread new ground but is full of fine performances and quality material. All three of the album’s duets (the stepper "Not Gonna Worry" with Deitrick Haddon, the acoustic CCM cut "Wipe Away My Tears" with Israel Houghton and the adult contemporary "What If" with Jamie Jones) are gems. And songs like the mid-tempo "Peace of Mind" and the ballads "Then Came You" and the Gospel-tinged title cut are solid tracks that are nicely fronted by Javen’s strong — if occasionally theatrical — voice.
Believer could be criticized by some as a "safe" album, but it’s tough to complain much about a disc that is full of melodic, well performed adult soul music, even if it stays within the lines. Recommended.
CR
