On their impressive debut
Road to Freedom, the fiercely political
Young Disciples offer muscular funk garnished with jazz, hip-hop and R&B flourishes. The majority of vocals are handled by
Carleen Anderson, whose low, smoky voice at times brings to mind the likes of Chaka Khan,
Anita Baker and
Oleta Adams. The production is clever and unpredictable; gospel organs open "Get Yourself Together" and then fade into the oncoming beats, while airy guitars introduce "Talkin' What I Feel" before pulling a similar about-face when confronted with some surging hip-hop rhythms. ~ Jason Ankeny