Reviewed by Robin Budgell

I can't remember any album with such immediate melodies as this, although there are hints of familiarity with many of the songs here. The best way to describe Joe King is a male version of Marilyn Baker - it's the kind of music that gets your mum listening to songs with drums! You may have come across Joe as the man behind Teach Yourself Praise Guitar' but his talent goes further, he has a very rich voice which can best be described as pleasant to listen to. The songs are all really good, mainly ballads, and would fit comfortably inthe Radio 2 mould (hints of film and show songs abound), yet with Uillean pipes, whistles and some clever sequencing there are some strong Celtic moments, perhaps the influence of producer Dave Bainbridge (lona's producer). Turning to the lyrics, which are the central part of this recording, we have a set of simple yet extraordinarily powerful songs. In the words of Premier's reviewer, they are "themes of compassion and love, written from the loving Father's perspective to his child", with the final song being the response "I Will Love You Come What May". These lyrics have been born out of the pain of Joe's marriage break up and his experience of God's love, and I believe have a real potential to be used in similar situations. If you're a counsellor get hold of a copy. A fine album.

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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