Momentum

When dc talk’s three founding members started solo projects, they insisted it wasn’t a break-up. Instead, they dubbed it an "intermission" (hence the name of their greatest hits package). But even this intermission, it seemed, had its staged drama and separate acts. Act one: Michael Tait and his band—both newly christened as "Tait"—released a charismatic rock album, citing Michael’s allegiances to Seal, Lenny Kravitz and the power of positive grunge. Act two: Kevin Max enlisted King Crimson alumni Adrian Belew and Tony Levin to yield a Euro-pop leaning disc that is eclectic, electric and exotic.

Meanwhile, where was dc talk leader Toby McKeehan? His solo album (and, it is assumed, his new stage name) were just as eagerly anticipated. But his disc waited while some final loving touches—or perhaps frothy mad science—were applied.

Judging by the results on Momentum, it was well worth the wait. Its breadth and maturity compels the listener to wonder why dc talk ever left its hip-hop roots. Among the strengths of Momentum: Toby Mac maintains a stylistic consistency and thrust sometimes absent on even the most ambitious dc talk records. His hip-hop expeditions run from the classic "J-Train," featuring Kirk Franklin, to the classical "Irene," which would have done Arrested Development proud. None of that, however, can prepare the listener for the speaker-melting salvos Toby fires on "Get This Party Started," "Extreme Days" and the title track.

Hip-hop has its wild side, and Toby Mac indulges it with an arsenal of guests and a departure Beastie Boys would be hard pressed to match. That’s not to say Momentum is all heaviness. Listen for, among other interludes, the humorous cameos made by "Toby’s Mac," a computerized sidekick who works up quite a thirst churning those hip-hop grooves.

As an established musician with a multi-racial following, Toby Mac has made a record that musically and lyrically crosses cultural lines. True, it’s good entertainment, but one could only hope that perhaps this record is another step toward racial reconciliation.