Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

I get to listen to a lot of modern CCM and to be honest there's a lot of sameness about it. Sometimes you just get bland voices, overproduced arrangements and uninspiring lyrics. However, this album grabbed my attention from the first few notes. Mayhew's voice is strong, she never lets it get overwhelmed by the instrumentation, which is discreet but effective - especially the tasty guitar. There's quite a variety of style, with pop influences especially, but it maintains its own distinctive style. If I had to offer a comparison I'd suggest another fine Irish singer, Mary Black. The album seems to be something of a family affair, with several Mayhews listed in the credits, but Eugene Kelly must take huge credit for the fine arrangements. For a first album it displays a striking confidence and maturity. No one track stood out especially for me, but the first song "Falling In Love" is representative of the quality on show here. Unfortunately no lyric sheet is included, but the words come through clearly in the singing and we are directed to the performer's website for the full lyrics.

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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