Jonathan McReynolds – ‘Life Music, Stage 2’ album review

In the three year period since Jonathan McReynolds dropped his debut Life Music, the gifted newcomer scored both Dove and Stellar Award nominations, plus lit up stages as diverse as the BET Celebration of Gospel, Austin’s South By Southwest Festival and New Orleans’ Essence Festival. On this sequel of sorts, the singer/songwriter continues his appeal to both the church and world at large, gathering an all-star pool of guests (Israel Houghton, Derek Minor, India.Arie, Warryn Campbell and many more) who further enhance a rhythmic gumbo spanning contemporary gospel, radio-ready R&B, soulful ballads and straight up pop. But perhaps even more enticing than the contagious sonic spread is the concept behind this ambitious collection, which is “written from the perspective of a guy looking for God in a social media-distracting generation.” Not only do songs such as “Gotta Have You,” “Whole,” “Pressure” and “Full Attention” engage amidst millions of other musical choices right now, but they bring a much needed dose of unswerving spiritual substance to anyone searching for something deeper.