Personnel: Joel Whitney (guitar); Ivy Skoff (strings); Dontae Wilson (horns); Mervyn Warren (piano); Mike Bereal (keyboards); Chris Johnson (drums).

The voice and spiritual wisdom that radiate from Spensha Baker on her deubt recording belie her tender age (she was still in her mid-teens when the album was released). But OUTLOUD! overflows with an exuberance that's central to all traditional gospel, and while Baker's sound may be contemporary, her roots run straight back to original joys of Christian testimony. With its cadre of top-shelf producers, OUTLOUD! has an urban contemporary/R&B feel, making it fun, fresh, and danceable. But the message and spirit infusing the album are one of enduring faith.