Beyond The Turntable

TobyMac's third original project, Portable Sounds, may be his best yet. Momentum and DiverseCity both went gold and featured multiple hits and movie/TV placements, but I really like the overall continuity, variety, and polish of his latest effort.

"Made to Love" has been a hit since it was released to radio, and other tracks are sure to follow. For a return to dc Talk rock stylings, "I'm For You" and "Suddenly" would have fit perfectly with Kevin Michael's former bandmates. (Yes, TobyMac's birthname name foreshadowed his future musical direction. Thankfully, his nickname alleviated confusion.)

"Boomin'" is reminiscent of Thousand Foot Krutch, who will be on the Portable Sounds tour, along with Building 429 and Family Force 5.

TobyMac has always been willing to share the spotlight. This CD includes the ever-popular Tru-Dog (TobyMac's son) on "Hype Man," and features the band's amazing vocalist Nirva Dorsaint-Ready on "No Ordinary Love." The project closes with "Lose My Soul," featuring Kirk Franklin and Mandisa (American Idol).

Whether you're looking for sounds that lean to hip hop, rapcore, rock, gospel or reggae, Portable Sounds has something for your iPod.