Active Child – His Eye Is On the Sparrow

With his breathtakingly haunting vocals, LA’s Pat Grossi of Active Child had us mesmerised with Hanging On from his debut LP ‘You Are All I See’. The past year saw him being rather inactive, but with this new offering we’re hanging onto his every word again. Instead of opting for his usual delicate R&B, His Eye Is On the Sparrow is a cover of a 1905 gospel hymn composed by Civilla D. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel. Having been previously performed by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston, Grossi finds himself in exceptional company.

The track shines through its sparseness; Grossi allows his falsetto to hang high above a sprinkling of piano keys and steal the limelight exactly as it should. He selects fine choral harmonies and while the track boasts his unique flair, it still clings very much onto its gospel roots. In fact, it’s easy to imagine the singer at the front of a church, about to break into an energetic, hand-clapping wail – Active Child meets Sister Act?