Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Brighton-based singer/songwriter Melissa's debut album offers up 10 self-penned songs and features the musical talents of guitarist Ben Hall and Phatfish keyboard player Michael Sandeman - the latter wearing his producer's hat for this release. Proceedings begin with "Voice In The Choir" - a touching tribute to the singer's teenage brother who was tragically killed in a car accident - to set the scene for a collection of thought-provoking songs that point the listener towards God. Melissa is adept at using Bible verses as the basis of her songs with the likes "Little White Lilies" and "Where Can I Go" skilfully quoting Matthew 6 and Psalm 139 respectively whilst "Who Are You" pays tribute to the author of the universe with some poetic imagery along with a pleasant enough but no frills vocal performance that features throughout the album. Less accomplished tracks like the lightweight "Sing Your Praises" and the breezy "Mr Maker" with its message about creation not questioning its creator coming across as somewhat lyrically forced are included but, thanks to Sandeman's obvious production skills, they fail to take away too much from this promising debut.

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.