Leeann Atherton – Good God
Rainstrorm Records – 2026
13 tracks; 46 minutes
Leeann Atherton comes from the Southern states, raised in Alabama, South Carolina and Texas. As a music student she first encountered gospel music in the churches of Charleston and was completely blown away. She has sung for years but on this release she has fully embraced the gospel sounds she first heard those years ago. Recorded in Southern California the album features three of Leeann’s own songs, plus a selection of material drawn mainly from the gospel repertoire. The musicians involved include guitarists Johnny Vernazza and Mac McNabb, keyboard players Rob Lamonica and Bob Berman, bassists Mike Burnham, Kevin Cooper and TJ Moss and drummer Edward ‘Hot’ Cleveland; backing vocals are by Austin Atherton, Johnny Vernazza, Jane Willcock and HeartBeat Pro. The album was produced by TJ Moss.
Whilst most of the songs are gospel and celebrate notions of faith and belief in God, the music is decidedly secular, with plenty of good musicianship. Leeann has a solid voice for this type of material, a touch of grit and a good range. Her own songs include “Call On The Lord” which features a fine slide solo, “Joy” which is very gospel in style with organ under Leeann’s soulful singing about the joy she finds in her faith and “Smack Dab In A Miracle” which has a nicely soulful lilt as Leeann describes how she found the love of God.
The covers include two often covered songs, “Saved” (Lieber and Stoller) which includes an exciting slide solo and Joe South’s “Games People Play”, most of the other covers from the gospel repertoire. Two come from 1970’s Gideon & Power, “Drinkin’ That Wine” and “More Peace And Love”, whilst songs like “I’ll Fly Away”, “This Little Light Of Mine”, “Angel Band” and “How Great Thou Art” date to a far earlier time. Whatever the song, Leeann gives it her full vocal attention and shows her devotion to her faith. Tuneful throughout, this album fits neatly into the traditions of Christian music with a modern, soulful slant.
