The Blessing - Prince Of The Deep Water (1991)

Prince of the Deep Water is a captivating album from the opening moments of the lead track, "Highway 5." The shuffling dance-pop beat is soon forgotten as lead singer William Topley begins to sing. Topley possesses a deep, blues-tinged voice, capable of great warmth. While "Flames" is cut of the same cloth as "Highway 5," much of the album is more organic and blues-tinged. The Blessing really play to their strengths on songs like the wonderfully moody epic "Hurricane-Room" (with some gorgeous gospel choir vocals by the backup singers) and the yearning "I Want You." The lyrics possess some sophistication, which probably didn't help the band to find a market. There's a bit too much sheen at moments, but this only marginally detracts from the overall strong material and good performances. After one more record, the Blessing split. Lead singer Topley would go on to have a bit more success as a solo artist.