tobyMac Portable Sounds Forefront Records Urban/Hip-Hop 02-20-2007

SCORE 86%

Jesus was asked a lot of questions during his years of ministry, many of which he chose to evade or answer with a question. However, when Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, His reply couldn't have been clearer. Love God and love others. Love was the thrust of His entire mission on earth and when asked to boil down all of ministry into one word, that word was love.

By now, everyone should know what to expect from a TobyMac album. Eclectic musical elements, high energy arrangements and a whole lot of fun have all become standard protocol for each of his solo releases. While he may come under fire for from detractors for not digging deep enough into theological insights or artistic value, Toby remains true to his musical background and consistently produces albums that show technical merit and lend themselves to a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

With Portable Sounds, Toby maintains his course, proving once again that a good mix of influences and a talented supporting cast will invariably result in a successful outing. Hitting his stride early with "One World," a track that features vocals from Joanna Valencia and a throw-back to "Hey Now" (Welcome to Diverse City), Toby kicks off the party that is Portable Sounds on the right foot with an upbeat jam that draws fans in with a familiarity hook.

The rest of the album is par for the course for Toby - a nice blend of rock, soul, and hip hop all drenched in catchy pop production. Some standouts include the rock-laced "Boomin," the euro-pop influenced, "Face of the Earth" and the energetic mergence of reggae, pop, and rock "Ignition." The album closes on what is perhaps its best note, "Lose My Soul," an extended track that features Kirk Franklin and Mandisa and serves as one of Toby's life anthems.

Overall, Portable Sounds should be another hit for TobyMac and his diverse city crew. With the pop appeal to get fans to check it out and just enough substance to keep them tuning back in, the album is quite enjoyable and should please a lot of listeners.