A singer, songwriter and author, Laronda Dawson is an aspiring musician whose passion for music is rivalled only by her love of changing lives through worship and spreading the word of God. For more than two decades she has cultivated her musical talents, bringing together her own vision and the wholesome sounds of her influences LaRue Howard, Kari Jobe, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, to name just a few. A mother of three children, a praise and worship leader at the World Covenant Christian Center, and the founder of The Gospel Room Music Group and Laronda Dawson Ministries, it’s easy to see that Laronda is doing all she can to spread the good word.
In late 2016 Laronda took her music and mission to a bigger stage, releasing her first single ‘Be High and Lifted Up’ with the help of Ed Anderson and LaRue Howard. It was a song that depicted the resurrection of Jesus on the cross, with vivid narrative brought to life through soft melodic tones and Laronda’s smooth vocals. It the closing track on Laronda’s three-track EP, leaving listeners with familiar, uplifting tones that calm the eclectic sounds of the high tempo melee of ‘When I Get There’. An upbeat, high energy track that doesn’t relent in either message or spirit, it’s a surprise cut that hits hard and really pushes the message of the EP.
It’s the title track that really works on the EP, arriving with a well-balanced flow of evocative vocals and an acoustic, gospel-infused melody. It’s an intimate track, one that works to builds an indelible atmosphere and showcase Laronda’s musical talents. It’s easy to hear the passion that Laronda has for her music and her message, and it’s ‘I Worship You’ that really makes you take notice of her mission.
In her own words, her EP is said to be “a collaboration of songs to usher you in the presence of God”, and a CD that “will make you want to shout and dance the victory, while inspiring you to spend quiet time alone with the Father”, and in some ways it hard to argue with that. The EP will certainly work to move you musically, and the message that Laronda sends is easily heard and understood, there is just an imbalance that sets off the pace of the release, transitioning quickly from smooth, emotive sounds to near-raucous jubilation, and back again in such a short space of time.
In the end, the EP is a sound musical release that will certainly inspire and excite it’s target audience, regardless of the minor errs in production and structure that occasionally arise. Laronda can be proud of her work and now that she’s on the right step to making her dream of drawing people to the heart of true worship through original music a reality.
Score: 7/10
Connect with Laronda Dawson,
