Reviewed by Oscar Hyde

Scottish multi-instrumentalist Lins Honeyman - known to regular Cross Rhythms readers as both a blues singer and a reviewer/journalist - embarked on a project with on-line collective Tunesmiths: each member of the collective had to write and record a piece of music with a predetermined style or theme. This album collects 13 of these disparate compositions rather haphazardly, picking up an idea, running with it for a couple of minutes, then changing partners for an entirely new tune. "Ocean Scenes", a beautiful suite shifting through representations of the ocean's surface, depths and beaches, is by far the longest track, at five and a half minutes; not a single other song reaches three minutes in length. But these brief genre experiments haven't downsized on fun. "1940s Wartime Dancehall Blues" is a pitch-perfect imitation of the titular ukulele-based style; "God Bless Richard Dawkins" cheekily pokes fun at new atheist conceptions of religion; "Mini Minuet" recreates Minuet in G with a Casio and other miniature instruments; "Natural Rhythm" celebrates nature by creating a beat out of stones, sticks and even a tree trunk. The whole thing, though scattershot, is imaginative, creative and definitely worth checking out if you have any interest in genre-hopping.

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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