From the age of seven, Monica McIntyre was immersed in orchestra, alongside her nine-year-old sister, Marcia. Growing up, McIntyre and her cello became one, and her sister likewise with the violin. McIntyre spent countless hours performing in the church choir and DC Youth Orchestra; then spent 15 years in Pennsylvania, developing her own unique genre, before moving to New Orleans in 2010 and joining the Honeypots.

It Soon Come, with perfectly crisp tracks recorded at the Living Room studio, showcases the angelic voices of McIntyre and her sister, and their beloved cello and violin. Adding to the mix her own slapping and plucking techniques, McIntyre’s cello performance becomes an integral element in her powerfully moving lyrics. Accompanied by dynamic vocals from Thea Bashful, and soft, subtle percussion and oboe by Mike Jacobson and Reggina Thompson, the tunes are powered by the voices of these three women, weaving in and around the songs, melting into a soothing and rhythmic mixture of sounds that blend the worlds of gospel and soul, blues and reggae, world rhythms and new spirituals.

McIntyre wrote all the songs herself, except the first song, “Wade in the Water,” an old field-song that she arranged. And it’s the perfect segue to the common thread throughout her songs—the nurturing and healing power of the Mississippi River merged with the spiritual presence of the ancestors. “It Soon Come,” the title song, spotlights McIntyre’s Jamaican ancestry with a charming reggae sound. Truly a feel-good song with a positive message, the fun and catchy reggae tune, “Dontcha,” is sure to be a hit. You can feel the Jamaican influence throughout the record, commingled with soulful, gospel-like songs like “Think of Me,” that reach out to ancestors in a powerfully moving spiritual performance. It Soon Come, a record that warms the soul, is one you can listen to over and over, and enjoy more and more.