Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This is a splash of the blues, a dash of gospel and a generous helping of country combining into a devastating recipe that will definitely have you coming back for seconds...and thirds and fourths! Featuring producer Buddy Miller and James Hollihan on guitar and Al Perkins on dobro creating some of the most emotional atmospheric roots music you've heard in a long time and sitting on top, there's Robbin Casey's amazing voice. She delivers in an Ashley Cleveland/Maria McKee kind of way and boy, does she deliver! Taking a lead from Cleveland's 'Lessons Of Love' album, Casey chooses all those old classic gospel tunes that you think have breathed their last but you haven't heard them like this. "How Great Thou Art" gets a smouldering bluesy interpretation, "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus" has some stompingly great Hollihan bluegrass acoustic guitar picking and Jim Hoke's harmonica interludes. Brilliant! "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" is a beautiful piano accompanied delicate coda to the proceedings that at its height include Hollihan's superb slide blues accompaniment on "Rock Of Ages" and a soulful rendering of that old favourite "The Old Rugged Cross" that would make Ethna Campbell blush at the passion emanating from Casey's vocals. Basically, this is brilliant and if you like Cleveland, Buddy Miller or Russ Taff's recent stuff, you absolutely have to buy this. It's essential!

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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