Home
Spensha Baker
Outloud!
Geffen Records
Grade – B+
Spensha Baker has aptly titled her Geffen debut – Outloud!. The 15-year-old voclaist cut her teeth on the classic CBS Star Search where she was judged by Geffen exec Ron Fair. Fair called Baker at home after her appearance and offered her a contract with the mainstream label.
The new album is a mix of R&B and pop and the vocals are amazing. With such talent and opportunities Baker displays a great amount of humility and thankfulness. The most telling point of her liner notes is when she gives thanks to the influences in her life (musically) – that being Stacie Orrico and Rachael Lampa. Both Stacie and Rachael were elevated to stardom at a young age like Spensha and it’s cool how their influence on a then 7 year old is carrying though today.
The label has obviously backed this project fully bringing its resources to bear upon the message of the Gospel. That too surprised me, as the usual A & R for Geffen is not so pointedly Christian. This situation is different from the typical Idol scenario where the record company is capitalizing on the popularity of the show, instead Geffen is leveraging the amazing talent and backing her up with a sound production.
The backing soundtrack includes a lively dose of choir and strings that compliment Spensha’s vocals well. My favorite songs are “Outloud!,” “Optimistic,” and “Victory” all of which are a statement of faith and an example of living outloud!
Ken W.