Reviewed by Richard Toller

Helen Sanderson-White sings beautifully, a pure voice with impressive range and power expressing the longing, regret and hope of her self-penned songs, over a backing of keyboards, electronic or piano - played by Helen Sanderson-White, who also produced the album herself. These are finely-crafted pop songs, driven home by little hooks that get under your skin. Voice, melodies and harmonies (she handles her own backing vocals) perfectly complement the lyrics that express "an aching and a longing to be loved" (to quote Martyn Joseph). There is not much overt Christian content, but, to take a few examples, "Hunger" is a song of human love that says a lot about our need for the love of God; in "Manifesto" she sings, "a little faith is what I need, a little faith can move mountains..."; the eerie "When You're Not Around" is a song of lost love that's not far from a psalm of lament. At the heart of the album is "Not Even God": a world-weary voice sings of defeat, and "'not even God would put us back where we were, and if he did we wouldn't fit anymore"' - but then "every moment is designed for our greatest good, to make you feel again, to make you real again." It's rich fare, perhaps better appreciated in small doses than listening right through in one sitting - and you do have to sit and listen to appreciate it. It might sound even better with a bigger production budget, but overall a very satisfying album for those who like their music in a minor key.

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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