When Fred Hammond is in the house, you just know that the praise and worship are going to stir your soul. His music is a whirlwind of urban R&B and old-time, righteous gospel. And his message is one of redemption and faith. In that sense, Speak Those Things is similar to previous chart-toppers The Spirit of David and Pages of Life: Chapters 1 & 2. But Hammond, founder and former front man of the renowned gospel group Commissioned, just keeps getting better. "You Are My Daily Bread" and "Lord of the Harvest" kick off the release with high energy, while Hammond follows with the silky smooth "Show Yourself Strong." But the strength of Speak Those Things lies somewhere in the middle, on slower, midtempo tracks like "You Are My Life" and "Great," the latter featuring guest appearances by Mary Mary and the Singletons. Here, the subtleties of Hammond's genius show as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary gospel. While he redefines the genre, Fred Hammond remains an authority of faith. --Michael Lyttle