Reviewed by Paul Kinvig

Julie Hamilton, sings, writes, plays guitar and for that she deserves a favourable ear. She won 'Crossfire Battle Of The Bands' so she can deliver live too. I'm happy to say that on the whole this album shows real promise though one thing is obvious from the outset - Julie should shy away from the heavier tracks like "Armaggedon" and "Freedom To Praise" and veer towards the songs on her album like "Frontline", the excellent "Am I To Blame?" and "The Kingdom Is Here". These three are more in the pop/funk mould and her voice slips easily into this style. A special mention should go to the unknown backing vocalist on "The Kingdom Is Here". Find out who he is and somebody give this man a deal immediately - there is a huge voice waiting to be heard. There is a strange phenomenon that happens with Christian music in the U.K. - there nearly always seems to be a "token" praise song on albums as if this somehow legitimises them. The same is true on "Cross Current" with "Lord And Father" which as it turns out is not bad - but I still wonder why the need for them? Julie's commitment to Christ is obvious in her challenging lyrics and she requires no more justification than that. Not bad at all Julie, not bad at all.

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.