Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

Maria Gilpin is a singer/songwriter and worship leader from Portadown, Northern Ireland and cites some of her influences as The Civil Wars and The Lumineers. I'd probably add Adele and Alisha Keys to that list. She has a very clear and powerful voice tinged with an Irish accent that I liked a lot. The arrangements are fairly sparse (piano/guitar/gentle drums, all beautifully played), allowing her voice to shine. Lyrically her worship background powers through - there's no doubt about where she's coming from, with an emphasis on serving Christ, especially giving everything to him. I especially liked the slightly off-kilter backing rhythm to "Lead My Way" which ran beautifully into a straight-ahead chorus and lifted the song. The final song on this, Maria's debut, "Overflow" is the one that soars the most and really shows off her expressive voice. It could have been so ordinary but Maria's voice lifts the material well above that.

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.