Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Spotlight Sheer(ness) Delight

A gutsy little four-piece from Sheerness have been busy recently and a cut from this, the throbbing "Kerry's Sound", makes a great opener. Paul Wroe, the band's songwriter and frontman, has a satisfyingly raucous vocal style, while the indie rock rhythms and snarling guitars surprisingly compliment the poignancy of many of his songs. Different influences occasionally come in like Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Blur and a trace of Vineyard worship. But overall they've got something original going for them. Despite the title, the seven songson this set make this a mini-album rather than an EP. Grassroots talent well worth supporting.

Paul Wroe of Orison spoke to Tony Cummings.

For all I know, you are the biggest thing going in Sheerness, but I suspect most of our readers will have never heard of Orison until "Kerry's Sound" was
featured on Cross Rhythms The Experience 23. Who are you all?
Well, there's me, I'm the guitarist/lead singer for Orison. We have Dan Cole on drums, Katie George on vocals and Zebedee Jacinto Fernandes on bass. We formed as a four-piece band back in February through just jamming together on Saturdays, using material I would put together in the week. We had a good time and thought it couldn't be a bad thing to make things a little more solid. We have changed bass players since the original line up. Musically we write/play whatever is on our mind/heart and whatever we think sounds good and most of all we play with passion, in the quietest songs and in the loudest ones. Spiritually we aim to take the Gospel to people through our songs on platform that they can relate to, real life situations with a Christian angle, relationships, rejection, insecurity - dealing with a whole load of issues. No faking it, we have a passion when we sing/play, people want something that is genuine, God is genuine.

What's the biggest thing holding you back at the moment?
The biggest thing holding us back at the moment is the equipment side of things. We beg, borrow or hire to get half decent equipment to play on and then we live in fear of damaging it! We could do with a few more opportunities in many areas, gigs, promotion, etc.

You are the singer/songwriter for the group. How did you become a Christian?
When I was 14 I went to this club thing, where we played table tennis and football. I only went for that side of things but I did notice there was an element of Christianity in the club as we had readings and memory verses. I was a little embarrased but deep down inside satisfied. For some reason I had to leave and two years later I committed my life after reading the Gideon's New Testament from school and meeting up with some other Christians. I guess it was something I always needed.

I believe you are a pretty young band. Do you think that is an advantage or a disadvantage?
I think it has its advantages, lots more time to make mistakes and get them right, time to learn and progress; down sides maybe lack of experience in the way bands operate on the professional level, but we're getting there.

What's the naffest song you've ever written?
Probably "Sam The Samaritan", a story from the Bible used in a song, with a '60s twist to it. I hate it but some of my friends think it's cool. Could possibly end up on a Christian kids compilation sometime in the future!

What do you like about Cross Rhythms magazine?
I like the fact Cross Rhythms caters for a range of music, the fact it isn't narrow minded to certain tastes of preferences but gladly opens its arms to all different musical styles that portray the Gospel. Plus it doesn't look naff but takes pride in being a Christian music magazine.