Reviewed by Doug Holland

This five-track offering of self-penned songs is the debut solo release by Arkansas-based singer/songwriter Kyle, and huge promise it shows too. The stars of the straightforward electro-acoustic set-up (bass, guitar, percussion and vocals) are the guitar that simply cascades from the speakers sounding like a clear mountain stream and the percussion parts that demand attention throughout and add huge variety. The songs are individually crafted pieces, with frequent melodic surprises and lyrics that point towards God in a straightforward and clearly honest way. There are some familiar ideas here, but it never becomes trite. The one weakness, particularly for subsequent longer albums, may be the vocal part, which is a little thin in places. Interestingly, there is an almost complete absence of harmonies (I only counted two), which presumably is a deliberate device intended to keep the focus on what he is saying. An excellent listen, good value at over 24 minutes from five tracks, and when it finishes you are left with the feeling that there are some very big songs to come from this impressive singer/songwriter in the future.

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.