Reviewed by John Hebden

This album is good news for worshippers who like their acoustic music to reach down into a deeper musical well. John is a great talent with a sweet, boyish voice (the sound of a much younger man, like Micah P Hinson in reverse), great guitar picking (Cockburn-ish at times) and wonderfully rich writing that is subtle and melodic with surprising little twists and turns. His sound is predominantly voice and acoustic guitar, with economical percussion (Terl Bryant and Gabriel Alonso) and keyboard. It's very mellow, but the strength of his melodies draws the listener in. The album begins with two songs which explore the concept of God and storm, moves through a couple of interesting takes on Bible stories (Jacob's flight from Esau in "Jacob's Prayer" and Paul's miraculous escape from prison in "Just A Dream"), a playful blues which expresses compassion for the lost world ("The Best For You") and closes with a couple of reflective songs of worship. John is involved in Angel Mountain Ministries, which sounds about right to me because "angels" and "mountains" fit well with the wonder and spiritual yearning of his music. The album features new recordings of old songs along with some new ones and makes a great introduction to an artist who deserves much wider recognition.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.