Spring Hill Records
Fresh on the heels of the likes of Lauren Talley, Misty Freeman, and Taranda Greene, Kim Hopper is the latest to come out with a disc all her own. On this Spring Hill Records release, Hopper takes on other genres as well as her traditional Southern Gospel stylings. Kim stretches herself, not only musically, but vocally as well, trying out different styles, only to fall back on the lower half of her range. Musically, the album mixes sounds that are popular today. The producers do a good job of fusing together traditional with progressive Southern Gospel, as well as Americana, synthesized inspirational, bluegrass, and a little showtune-esque big balladry as well. Vocally, Hopper remains a force to be reckoned with. However, on this album, she stretches herself with all the differing styles. At times, Kim sings with a solid alto range, a sound that is very reminiscent of Janet Paschal, especially on tunes like “Summer Prayer” or “The Road Home”. Big balladry found on “The Cross Said It All” and “There Is a Fountain” show Hopper dabbling in Barbara Streisand-esque sounds, all the while keeping the sound very much in the framework of what Hopper is known all about. Bluegrass and Americana are laced throughout many of the tunes, and Hopper at times sounds like Christian folk artist Sara Groves, showing that Hopper is more than capable of taking on other genres. Overall, Imagine is an album unlike any other currently in the genre. It mixes multiple styles together unseen by any artist since The Martins. This album will surely show the rest of the world what Southern Gospel has known about Kim Hopper all along: she’s the next big thing.
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