A word aptly spoken, says the writer of Proverbs, is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  We all know the power of words:  the right words arranged in the right order can build bridges across seas of loneliness otherwise unassailable.   A right word spoken to a wimpy down-trodden kid can awaken the world changing hero latent in his soul.  And a right word spoken with the Spirit's aid can so pierce the skin, enter the blood stream and work its magic in the heart of an agnostic that she too can resuscitate with life in a moment of faith. Ask Micah Stampley and he too can testify about the power of words.  Not too long ago, Stampley's daughter herself was in a state of semi-coma, and what got the Stampleys through such an ordeal were the words of Chris Tomlin's "Our God:" "Our God is greater, our God is stronger, Our God is higher than any other/Our God is healer, awesome in power, our God! Our God!"  Not only has Stampley recorded this popular worship anthem himself but it is also this album's lead single.  Safe to say, "Our God" is representative of "Love Never Fails" in that this is a disc rifle with apples of gold.  With lots of richly nuanced faith-affirming lyrics and themes that exalt the unrelenting love of God, these songs on "Love Never Fails" are the type of resources God is going to use to change lives around. 

Ever since Micah Stampley has won the 2004 Stellar Award Gospel Star Search Competition, he has had been a staple in Gospel music.  His 2005 debut "The Songbook of Micah" impressively debut at no. 3 on Billboard's Gospel Chart.  Teaming up with producer Aaron Lindsey (Israel Houghton), Stampley is back with his sixth studio album and his first for Motown Gospel/Interface Entertainment "Love Never Fails." Kicking off the album on a high gear is thumbing "We Will Praise You."  The twirling swash of Celtic tilt and the irresistibly catchy "lalala" hook certainly make "We Will Praise You" memorable. With a rattling dance rhythm the Micah Stempley, Heidi Stampley and Aaron Lindsey penned "Oh Give Thanks" has a way of hooking us in to give thanks to God together.  While the album's real gem is "He Loves Me."  By bringing Jamaican born artist Chevelle Franklin on board, Stampley shows that he can sing about God's love over a snare drum in a refreshing reggae groove that would get fans of Bob Marley and the Wailers out in droves.       

Though Chris Tomlin's "Our God" is fast climbing up CCLI's chart as one of America's worship darlings, it still begs for a African American artist to give it a Gospel varnish. Stampley's rendition almost rivals Darlene Zschech's (she gave a stellar live take of it at Hillsong Australia's conference a couple of years ago) in that he takes this God-besotted anthem and makes it his very own singing to his own tempo and adding to it his own nuances.  Speaking of worship songs written with the congregation in mind is "Zion." Drawing richly from the old Southern spiritual roots of that pine for the Lord's return, "Zion" harkens us back to the times when worship was not performance driven but expressions of our desperation for God's relief.  Just as "Zion" stretches our comfort zones, "Let the Church Arise" challenges us to stand up for what is God's truth in our morally whimsical society.

Worthy of mentioning are two piano ballads: first is Stampley's take of Chris Rice's "Come to Jesus."  Instead of trying to urbanize this modern hymn, Stampley gives this hymn about Christ's grace a strait jacket tackle allowing his sturdy tenor to beautifully soar with the tune's escalating octaves.  The second cover ballad is Stampley's visceral take of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" which is dedicated to all his supporters who has had helped him to be who he is today. Unlike other Gospel artists who are not comfortable to sing beyond the confines of the genre, Stampley is willing to defy such artificial fencings by recording songs that matter.  These are songs with words that are so powerful that they are going to transform lives in such ways that our grandkids and their children will be raving about in years and years to come.