Country singers can always release a gospel album when things are going badly. And many times, that’s how the album works – badly. There are exceptions of course, but Ronnie Milsap’s Then Sings My Soul is not one of them. It’s too bad, since the singer’s 2006 autobiographical album My Life was considered something of a comeback. All the usual suspects are present on Soul, including “I’ll Fly Away,” “Amazing Grace,” “Rock of Ages” and “The Old Rugged Cross,” but they’re robbed of any soul by the slick production and Milsap’s uninspiring vocals. One doesn’t want to be too hard on the man, and some might ask, “what did you expect from the guy behind ’Smokey Mountain Rain’ and ’(There’s) No Getting Over Me.’? ” It might have been more surprising if Milsap had actually found something new in the old classics. Here’s hoping this can be chalked up as a misstep, and Milsap can get back on track. (EMI CMG 2009)
