There are certain artists whose careers are built on such firm and fertile ground that their artistry seems perpetually uncompromised.  Such can be said of CeCe Winans.  Gifted with a sultry voice capable of communicating raw emotion and exultant praise, always in the quiet elegance which characterizes her, CeCe has returned to us with the contemporary sound her fans have grown to admire and anticipate in Purified.

Coloured in part by the recent afflictions that have swept through her life, namely her own unexpected illness last fall and her eldest brother Ron Winans’ untimely death this past Spring, Purified is an album that concentrates on relationships built both in the family atmosphere and with God, especially in the face of adversity.

The naked strum of an acoustic guitar leads into the neo-soul inspired Mama’s Kitchen, a number that speaks to the simple joy of a loving home.  This is doubtlessly a wistful look “back to better days” of innocence when “chasing rainbows and dreams” was as complicated as life could get. 

A wise man once said that at times, one needs to minister what one requires because it is through giving that we receive.  You Will  is a song of healing, where mellow acoustics are mingled with soothing orchestral sounds as CeCe croons the words her heart needs to believe, while embraced by the tranquil harmony of the Born Again Choir singing, “…someday your broken heart will heal and you will find your smile again… And then one morning you’ll awake and find there’s one less tear…”  All That I Need is another melody along the same vein, where CeCe’s impassioned contralto voice entreats The Most High in earnest prayer.

Mario Winans joins his auntie and worship becomes a family affair in Pray, a bass-heavy urban fanfare.  The family bond is reinforced in Always Sisters, a song penned and executed by the female contingent of the Winans clan; Angie, Debbie and Priscilla (better known as CeCe) sing an ode to their kindred spirit and sisterhood in a harmonious up-tempo ballad that has their voices meet in the kind of musical accord only familial affinity can foster.

Prismatic techno rhythms and hand-clapping beats characterise Let Everything That Has Breath, as CeCe raises her voice in a jubilee of hallelujahs.  This song, though reminiscent of Hallelujah Praise from Throne Room, delights listeners with pop grooves that challenge anyone that has breath to sit idly by, without the benefit of a church-sanctioned jig. 

Written by CeCe herself, I Promise, is sure to become a wedding classic as this spiritual love song speaks of the earnest quality of an enamored heart.  And although she and her husband Alvin Love are no longer newlyweds, one can still hear the pitter-patter of her heart as she trills “you’re everything I prayed and waited for and my love I promise you”

Colorful World is a celebration of the God-given diversity that makes us all unique, from the peculiarities of our fashion choices to the colour of our skin. This contemporary ballad brings up the contemplative message that discrimination is a denial of God’s infinite handiwork.

Flavoured by a fusion of middle-eastern and flamenco rhythms, A Place Like This is a resounding praise hymn on the joys that await believers in Heaven. Co-written by Winans’ son Alvin Love III, this song boasts a fleeting sampling of “Heaven” from the old school days of BeBe & CeCe sprinkled in for good measure while Coffee & Bonafide of Grits pepper the sound waves with their guest vocals.

Unfortunately, the title track is second to last on the album and may be overshadowed by the high-octane songs that precede it.  Purified is a guitar-laden melody in pleasing tones inspired in part by Psalms 51:10 wherein the singer, like the psalmist pleads for sanctification.

It is a welcome surprise to hear Detroit native Kayla Parker lend her sweet soprano to CeCe’s voice in Just Like That, a narrative about the difficulties of the modern family.  The song retains an optimistic viewpoint, as the singer reminds us that “There is joy, there is forgiving, there is peace and contentment; There is love and it flows unrelenting…”  Kayla also lends her songwriting talents to the project in He’s Concerned the words of which so aptly offer encouragement to the heavy-hearted “So while your tears are flowing through your time of mourning…He’s concerned about you”

If listeners think there is something familiar and maybe retrospective in this album, they may be right, as CeCe has "gone back home" to team up with award-winning producer Tommy Sims who played a pivotal production role with recording titans BeBe & CeCe.  This nostalgic partnership takes nothing away from CeCe retaining the contemporary edge that has characterised her artistry thus far.  Although Purified is more even-paced than Throne Room, the album which precedes it, the message and the melodies therein captivate the spirit. 

My grandmother used to say that, “…to sing is to double up on prayer.”  In her private moments of sorrow and hardship, CeCe Winans has decided to sing, whether in lamentation or in exaltation.  Symphonies of prayer have never been far from her lips.  And as the words "So hear me cry as I pour out my heart…" escape her soul and make their way upward, one cannot help but think, surely, the melodies of this songstress have touched the heart of God.