Reviewed by Trevor Fitzgerald

After a seven-year absence Robin Mark of 'Revival in Belfast' fame returns with a new studio album of songs with his usual mix of contemporary hymns and congregational friendly melodies with that characteristic Irish twist. 'East of the River' spans 16 tracks (13 songs and 3 instrumentals) so there is more than enough to keep you going until his next studio release. Songs such as "I've Been Crucified With Christ" and "Highly Exalted" have lyrics directly lifted from the bible and combine with the hymnal nature of Robins song-writing style make these the most powerful songs on the album. The small instrumentals are nice but the placement of the jig "Tripping Up The Stairs" seems to be at odds with the gravity of the two songs that it is sandwiched between. Overall the songs do tend to blend into each other when the album is listened to as a whole. That said, this is another solid release from Robin Mark and proves once again his talent for crafting songs that can easily be transferred into any churches worship time.

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