Part of the charm of former country singer
Barbara Fairchild's gospel albums is that the Nashville-based singer, who was a mainstream country star through the '70s, still records in the style of her previous hits. Though recorded in 2002, the songs on
Wings of a Dove sound like a countrypolitan session from three decades before:
Floyd Cramer-style piano, pedal steel guitars, sweeping strings, and sweet choral backing vocals underpin
Fairchild's close-miked lead vocals throughout. Still an appealing singer with a honeyed voice,
Fairchild resists the clichéd over-singing that mars much contemporary gospel, wisely dependant on a warmer, more inviting tone on tales of devotion like "Had It Not Been" and "The Longer I Serve Him." Traditional tunes "The Wayfaring Stranger" and "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" are given equally solid treatment, making
Wings of a Dove a solid, rootsy country gospel album. ~ Stewart Mason