Graceland

Recording information: JDS Studios, Detroit, MI; Mix Factory One Studio Downtown, Detroit, MI; Mix Factory One Studios, Southfield, MI; Wire Road Recording Studios, Houston, TX.
Photographer: Timothy Paule.
Kierra Sheard may have dropped the "Kiki" from her name once her music became more "mature," but Graceland is that perfect mix of wise and young at heart, so she can bounce back to "Kiki" at will, just like Beyoncé does with "Sasha Fierce." Most "Kiki" of the bunch this time out might be the sassy, brassy, and hip-hop "Go," but the gospel singer sounds equally sophisticated on the R&B ballad "Moving Forward." Bright pop tracks like "2nd Win" fall wonderfully in the middle, and with the album being skillfully laid out and paced, Sheard remains at the forefront of progressive gospel with Graceland. ~ David Jeffries