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Released: 1st May 2000.

The debut album by sisters, Erica and Tina Atkins a.k.a Mary Mary may surprise you a little. First of all the lyrics... As the title may suggest, you'd expect some religious content, which was the case with "Shackles (Praise You)" and "I Sings". However, you won't get just some Christian content here as >all of the album is highly religious.

The sisters aren't afraid of spelling out the name of Jesus and getting in touch with their faith, by singing about a number of issues that might scare off the non-religious public... Give it a chance, and after a few listens, you might grow to like this album no matter what your beliefs are, as the ladies are singing from their hearts and boy does it show.

Now let's talk about the music. After the smash "Shackles (Praise You)" you'd expect some real earth-shattering, hot, and modern R&B production like TLC, Destiny's Child or Pink to be on the album. Thankfully you're spared the annoyance of hearing the samey tunes all over again, as "Thankful" has its own quite unique style.

"I Sings", the second single, is probably the grooviest track on the album, with "Be Happy" being a personal favourite, as the pleasant melody flows rather nicely. "Still My Child", "One Minute" and "Can't Give Up Now" form a big ballad trio. The last track, "Wade In The Water" turns an innocent gospel piece to a dynamic, almost rock number.

Ironically maybe, the worst song is "Good To Me" (a duet with Destiny's Child) which could easily make your mind wander off if you're not careful. Another slightly disappointing track is "Joy" since it is fairly uneventful and lacking originality.

Overall, the album could be described as a decent piece of soul music; performed by talented singer/songwriters who have proven that music with content, whether you're into it or not, doesn't have to be boring.

(Aneta Janssen)

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