Might these remixes of the title track of former Selah singer Nicol Sponberg's sophomore solo album be too authentically clubby for Christian radio (never mind retail; when's the last time you saw a CD single at a Bible bookshop?)? They must be too "something" for the sanctified subculture, as the legwork it took me to get them led to dead ends when it came to my kin in faith. But worth the legwork it was.
In its original album version, Sponberg makes "Resurrection" a darkly balladic prayer for personal revival. In the hands of post-production trio Piper, it becomes a more startlingly piquant yearning. Progressive house touches buoy the verses, while the chorus turns to a vibrant trance vibe. It continues the team's winning ways with Wynonna Judd (her remake of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is"), and Kylie Minogue, among others.
Gabriel & Dresden's dance mix and its dub (really an instrumental) add more tech-house/hi-NRG underpinnings and sounds to reprise a passage of the original version, albeit to questionable effect. The Piper versions move me more, but on the right dance floor at the right hour, it could induce much sweatiness under the strobe lights. The original version closes the promotional CD to let listeners know what labors it took to make Sponberg such a stompin' mama.
Those acquainted with her first solo long player, back when she was an unmarried Nicol Smith, know she has long had it in her to be a disco diva. Her passionate, clarion soprano's a sufficient selling point. It's heartening to hear this fruit of that potential--even if the powers that be in her primary market don't much care.
3.5 tocks
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