REVIEW: B. Slade Presents The Peculiar People ⁠— Out the Box 2 & 3“Maybe we

REVIEW: B. Slade Presents The Peculiar People ⁠— Out the Box 2 & 3

“Maybe we’ve missed it.” This chilling opening proposition regarding the Rapture sets the tone for this heavily Thief in the Night-inspired tome. A lot has changed both in the musical landscape and in the life of the artist now unmistakably known as B. Slade since 2004 when the groundbreaking, multi-Stellar Award-winning, Grammy-nominated Out the Box reimagined the possibilities of contemporary Gospel music. What seems to be unchanged, or maybe reinvigorated, however, is the artist’s desire to bear witness to the infinite possibilities of what Gospel music can sound like, and who it can and should be for.

Originally announced for a 2014 release, this long-awaited sequel has undergone numerous developments, with working titles such as “Return of the Ark” and “The Dabernacle”. At a sprawling 59 tracks over two volumes, Separation of the Church & State 1906andThe United States of Genesis, there’s no way to succinctly synthesize all of its contents in a way that does it all justice, so I won’t try. Messages of the apocalypse, outreach, healing, loss, hope, joy, and the afterlife are all abounding. Even with a few songs rooted in the flawed politics of Black exceptionalism and denouncing “black-on-black crime,” the gospel of salvation (from both internal and external evils) wins out. Gone are the live horns that accompanied the synths and Jam and Lewis-influenced beats of the mostly-live 2004 album and defined its timeless sound. But what remains are the reminiscent blendings of old-school and new-school sonics and thematics, as well as the robust, and at-times haunting, choir vocals from The Peculiar People, perhaps more liberated now than then, showcased best on tracks from the third volume. With titles like “Mastermind in Paris”, “Draw in Berlin”, and “Astray in Tokyo” the set is intent on making its global mission to “WegoWego” and save the souls of the lost fully actualized.

It’s impossible to measure this double-double album against the original 2004 opus. That album, which catapulted the artist into Gospel stardom, and went on to sell over a million copies worldwide, remains a blueprint for a generation of Christian singers, musicians, and producers. But it’s remarkable to think that only 16 years ago Gospel albums as exhaustive as these new offerings could never have been made independently in 2004. And yet, given the limited scope, stifled creativity, and hyper-consolidated resources hoarded by the gatekeepers-that-be in the Gospel music industry today, there’s no way that anyone else could have the courage and vision to present Gospel music like this now but B. Slade. Theoretically, while stirring singles like “Healing in Minnesota” should absolutely and easily fit on today’s Gospel radio stations and streaming playlists, it’s likely those that have control over these things would actively work to keep such revolutionary integration from happening.

In 2020, when artists like Kanye West choke the final remaining messages of collectivism and mutual aid out of Black Gospel music to finalize its mainstream covenant with white evangelical fascism, materialism, and corporatism, where is the place for Gospel music that speaks from a place of service and community? In 2020, when Christian leaders like Jackie Hill Perry still have the platform to preach a life of “Christ over queerness”, where is the platform for an LGBTQ and queer-friendly group of believers with the audacity to minister as they are and dare to sing “I Shall Live”? Thus, Out the Box remains a fitting title for a visionary and his visionary choir that dares to do both. And that’s why I’m grateful these albums are finally seeing the light of day.