First Love reunites Larnelle with long time producer/collaborator Greg Nelson, who was at the helm for many of Larnelle's most beloved songs. With all the polish and shimmer of contemporary pop, and 10 strong songs of faith and hope, First Love brilliantly places Larnelle's classic, timeless sound in a thoroughly modern setting.
"I'm at an age now where I'm starting to look around and take inventory of my life and what I've done with it," says Larnelle. "I could not have made First Love 25 years ago. I just didn't have the life experiences. There really is a lot of my past and present on this album.
"We approached this album from an audience point of view," he continues. "When I'm on stage looking at the folks, I want to give them something they can relate to. These are songs that jump off the record and right into a concert or church setting. We wanted to make a record for the church. . .anthems that the choirs will sing. And we went for big ideas. . .the kinds of words that find their way into the choir loft, and that's what we all need to hear."
While music, ministry and touring have been Larnelle's life for most of his years, he still refers to himself as very much a home-body, totally devoted to Mitzy Harris, his wife of over 25 years, and their two children, his son, Larnelle Jr. ("Lonnie") and one daughter, Teresa,both young adults, away at college and out of the house for the first time. Larnelle reflects on some of the changes the Lord has led him through in recent years in "Change In Me".
"We've had so many changes in our lives lately," he says. "Letting go of the kids has been something we've been praying about and preparing for 22 years, still it seems like it came overnight. There have been changes as our parents get older and we have to assume parental sorts of responsibilities in their care. There have been changes in our church that have required a lot of strong and mature leadership to navigate. I was initially attracted to this song because it has a fun, up-tempo feel, but subliminally it touches on a subject that hits very close to home."
