There’s a lot to love about Yes, Triumphant Quartet’s new CD, released in the early part of 2019. Yes features eleven songs. From the eleven, eight of them were co-written by Scotty Inman and the industry’s best writers, such as: Kenna Turner West, Sue C. Smith, Lee Black, Tony Wood, Joel Lindsey and Jason Cox, just to name a few! These eight songs make up the majority of the sound on this new album, and I’ll just say that Scotty and the co-writers all did a great job. It’s wonderful to see singers investing in the future of their music by writing songs they want to introduce to their audience. My personal favorites are “Going There,” “Even Me” and “Joy.” Likewise, with producers like Gordon Mote and Wayne Haun behind the arrangements and producing, you would expect nothing less than an outstanding album. And after hearing the music again and again, I can assure you, it is! Yes brings both new and well loved songs to Christians everywhere for 39 minutes of praise and encouragement.

Triumphant Quartet:
Tenor – David Sutton
Lead – Clayton Inman
Baritone – Scotty Inman
Bass – Eric Bennett

1 Going There
Feature: Scotty Inman
Tempo: Fast
Message: The first verse opens with a statement that is true for all Believers… “This world is not my home.” Our true self belongs in Heaven with the Lord, but until then we must keep our eyes on the ultimate goal. The chorus is a joyful declaration of our final pilgrimage. I’m going there sums up so many thoughts… streets of gold, a land flowing with abundance, Christ as the unending light and a place where pain and sorrow cannot abide. This is the place God has prepared for us! The second verse continues to think about that day. After describing the joys of Heaven and the trials of earth in the first verse and chorus, the lyrics of the second verse stir a longing to hear the words, “well done,” and finish the race. The bridge is the climax of the tune and exclaims, “Do you wanna go?” Why, yes…I do!
Other Comments: In concert, Triumphant closes out their programs with this tune and it’s a perfect fit. The message and peppy tune delivers the desired effect on all who hear it. Thumbs up to writers Scotty Inman and Lee Black for penning this fun, yet motivating lyric. As far as I’m concerned, you can hit repeat and turn this one up!

2 Even Me
Feature: Scotty Inman
Tempo: Mid-Tempo Ballad
Message: You’ve heard the story of the cross a million times, but I bet you haven’t heard it like this! The opening line sings, “I’ve heard it all my life, even had it memorized, but it was only words to me…” This lyric continues to tell how one can know the salvation story from the Word and not take it seriously for a good part of their lives. But…there is always a time when the Gospel hits home and you realize who He is and what you’ve done. At that moment, you can’t help but be amazed that those words written in red were meant for you. The next verse ponders why Jesus would pay such a high cost for our sin. Yet, He did, and we’re the recipients of such awesome grace.
Other Comments: Jeff Bumgardner, Jason Cox and Kenna Turner West outdid themselves in the writing room on this one! Dubbed the “John 3:16” song, these lyrics take you on a modern journey of the most quoted verse in the Bible. The studio musicians knocked it out of the park on the sound and Scotty does an excellent job on the vocals. Love, love, love! Can’t say enough good things about this one. This is a song that’s going to stick around.

3 Eye Of The Storm
Feature: Clayton Inman
Tempo: Mid-Tempo Ballad
Message: Ever feel blinded by your own tears? Have the world beneath you crumble? Felt betrayed by the ones closest to you? Then you know how real the pain is. But in those difficult times, you also realize how mighty our God is. The refrain reminds the suffering that the Lord remains in control; He’s the Guardian and the Anchor when the strongest part of the storm is upon you. The second verse goes on to speak of how a dream can be easily snatched away and the third verse continues to even greater trials, such as bad news from a doctor’s office or a family member suffering from an addiction.
Other Comments: This song is borrowed from Ryan Stevenson, a popular Contemporary Christian artist. If you’re a fan of the original version, you’ll notice that Triumphant minimized the beat in the song and sings it differently to make it appeal to the Gospel Music demographic. Is the result better, good, something you would enjoy? I personally think it’s a good song, but the style you enjoy most will have to be decided by each listener himself.

4 Yes
Feature: Scotty Inman
Tempo: Fast
Message: If you have questions as to if God would accept you, then this tune should dispel all your fears! Written in first person, the opening verse simply states that Jesus can not only find a lost soul, but turn them around and bless them in a new life. The chorus sings out again and again how Jesus says, “yes,” to all who run to Him for salvation. In the second verse, the one speaking explains how they feared their past would damage any hope of being saved; instead of rejection, Christ cast their sin as far as the east is to the west, and the final verdict was none other than one simple word – yes!
Other Comments: The title track brings a little Country to the project with a driving beat, twangy steel guitar and some fun piano licks! This is another that was co-written by Scotty Inman and Nathan Woodman and is really fun on the project and in concert. And don’t forget to listen for Eric’s slide at the very end! You’ll love how the song bounces along and then suddenly halts for Eric to do his thing.

5 What He’s Done For Me
Feature: Eric Bennet
Tempo: Slow
Message: This testimony song begins from the first person viewpoint with a simple Gospel message. In the first stanza, the writer says they would take someone to where they surrendered their life to Christ if given the opportunity. What did that mean for them? They go on to speak of the trade that took place at the cross – where Jesus took their place and paid for their sins. Instead of receiving the deserved punishment, they experienced God’s abundant grace and marvelous mercy. Transitioning from the chorus to the next stanza, the lyrics are all about praising the Lord every day for this gift of salvation. After all, it’s not about facts or cleverly crafted arguments about the Christian faith – it’s about what He’s done for you…
Other Comments: This tune sets itself apart by being a true solo. Eric sings the first verse and chorus by himself and goes into the second verse before you hear the other guys come in for background vocals. Eric’s deep vocals give the song a smooth, low sound, making the song an easygoing ballad with an equally soothing lyric.

6 Give You All The Glory
Feature: David Sutton
Tempo: Ballad
Message: There’s a verse in Scripture that says all good things come from above – and that’s what the opening verse of this ballad says. All blessings, good things and provision we enjoy each day are straight from the hand of God. The refrain goes onto record what our response to such blessings should be: choosing to praise Him, releasing the glory to His name and raising our voices in the honor of the Lord. Like the first verse spoke of blessing, the second verse covers the topic of pain and heartaches. It reminds us that God has a purpose for the suffering we endure and after it all, we can be a testimony by giving Him the praise anyway.
Other Comments: What a beautiful song. Though the strings, choir and full sound is exactly what you would expect from a big, Southern Gospel ballad, I think many would agree that this song could also cross over into Praise and Worship. I could easily see this one being sung in a church service on Sunday morning – and David’s clear tenor is perfect for the tone of the song! Yet, another great co-write from Scotty Inman, Lee Black and Sue C. Smith!

7 Joy
Feature: Scotty Inman
Tempo: Fast
Message: There are a variety of things in life that contribute to the happiness, or, sourness of one’s mood. Yet, when the first verse of this tune kicks off, it shows us that though losing things like keys and wallets are annoying, they can’t override the overall joy that Christ gives. The chorus hits the nail on the head by saying, “I’ve got a joy that the world didn’t give and the world can’t take it away!” Now, you may be thinking there are a lot worse things in the world than just misplacing a set of keys, so the second verse goes deeper by addressing some of the more difficult times in life. Circumstances like mounting bills, achy bones and all around bad times may put on the pressure, but those in Christ don’t have to let it get under their skin because they know Who is looking out for them. The bridge sums up this thought by saying whatever comes our way, we can still have joy.
Other Comments: This is a fun tune with groovy music co-written by Scotty Inman, Lee Black and Tony Wood. The melody in the chorus showcases David’s high notes while the guys sing another line that brings the lyrics together in one cohesive thought. I love how the piano and snapping fingers keeping the beat throughout the tune, which gives the music the same type of joyful bounce the lyrics speak of. Fun song!

8 A Little Bit
Feature: David Sutton, Eric Bennett
Tempo: Fast
Message: Ever feel like what you have to give isn’t enough? Well, the first verse of this tune brings that up and reminds us that a mustard seed is pretty small, and in God’s economy, that’s all it takes! The chorus continues the thought by naming a few Bible stories where Jesus took small things and multiplied them into life changing events. What does this all mean? The hook says it all, “God can do a lot with just a little bit!” The second verse is an encouragement to use whatever gift you have for the Lord – no matter how small you feel it is. Just like the disciples were amazed that Jesus could feed 5,000 with two loaves and five fishes, you will be amazed what He can do with you when you surrender it to Him!
Other Comments: If you’re a fan of the steel guitar, you’ll hear it come out in the chorus of “A Little Bit.” Between that steel and the rolling piano turnaround at 1:50ish in the track, I say this tune has a touch of a Country in it, similar to “Yes.” And…I can’t go on without adding that this tune also came from the pen of Scotty Inman, but this time, with Kenna Turner West and Tony Wood.

9 All Things Good
Feature: Clayton Inman
Tempo: Medium
Message: If you think about all the things that God has made good, you might, like the first verse of this song, come up with things like turning darkness into light, providing hope and finding the lost. These ideas lead us into the simple message of the chorus, “You make all things good…” No one has redeeming power like Jesus! The second verse tells a personal testimony of one who, like the first verse mentioned, was found, set free and lavished with grace. And though this is great news for us, the bridge reminds us that Jesus took every sin and bad thing upon Himself at the cross so that we could experience such goodness. Praise the Lord!
Other Comments: This is a medium tempo song with an acoustic feel. Throughout the song, you’ll hear the moan of the steel guitar while the steady and soothing music stays in the background so you can focus on the message written by Scotty Inman and Joel Lindsey.

10 Only God Knows
Feature: Scotty Inman
Tempo: Slow
Message: If you’ve experienced a pain so deep that it causes you to question if there’s still a reason to live, then this song is for you. Through the lyrics of the first stanza, the writer gently, but truthfully describes how hard life can be even when God is with you. The refrain simply says “Only God knows how your broken heart fits in His master plan.” When your world comes apart, it falls in His hands and no matter what you face, you can rest in the simple knowledge that if God knows why, then all is well. The second verse goes into the question of death and why it takes people we love before we feel their time has come. The lyrics call on us to trust God in a way we never had before.
Other Comments: This song was written in 1995 by Kevin Wright after losing his father to cancer and then his two children in a car wreck – all in the early part of that year. “Only God Knows” is a powerful, yet sad song. The orchestration was arranged by Trey Ivey and is the perfect bedrock for the lyrics to stand on.

11 We Believe
Feature: Whole Group
Tempo: Ballad
Message: This is an anthem of faith set to music! Eric sings the first part that speaks of the desperate times we live in – times of fear and doubt. Clayton takes the next few lines and sings about how we live in a broken, dark world. The answer to all of this worlds hopelessness? Belief in Christ and the fundamentals of Christianity which are described in the chorus of the ballad. Things like the Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ death, resurrection, second coming and life giving power through His blood are mentioned. They’re an important part of why we believe what we do, and cannot be diminished. The second verse, which features Scotty, encourages the Believer to take up more than an anthem or song, and instead, surrender all the things that make us weak and just believe…
Other Comments: What a beautiful song to close a CD with! With full orchestration from Wayne Haun, you know that the music is going to be out of this world. A little bit of “marching band” sound from the drums in the intro, swelling strings and horns in the appropriate spots. Absolutely love it!

Conclusion: In a roundabout way, this album emphasizes the things that God desires for our lives in one little word – yes. For salvation, heaven, joy, strength and using the little bit we bring to the table for His glory are just a few of the things God has said, “yes,” to in every Believers life. To listen to this music is to instill in your mind the good things we have in Christ. If you enjoy Triumphant’s music, or music that is uplifting, then you should consider adding Yes to your CD collection! And if you haven’t already, watch the official lyric video for “Even Me” below!