Reviewed by Robin Thompson

This is American singer/songwriter Charlie's second album, a follow up to 2006's 'Prologue To This Drama'. Once again, Charlie's lyrical talents are evident - he is the type of lyricist that likes to write in stories and these are engaging and capable of expressing truths in an original way. It's hard to place his sound - there are elements of country and western, Southern rock, funk and bluegrass, but it's a great combination. It's a fresh sound, and that is important, and it carries the meanings of Charlie's songs well. I particularly like the lyrical gymnastics on "Expression" and the paraphrasing of 1 Corinthians 13 on "Love (13)". Interestingly, Charlie writes that this album is a collection of the songs that fans have asked for repeatedly after shows and I dare say this contributes to the overall quality of the album. I would venture to suggest that canvassing fans is certainly an effective barometer of good songs and, as the saying goes, the cream always rises to the top. Mind you, with cream as good as this, I suspect even the milk is pretty good too.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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