Reviewed by Richard Toller

The band's sound is mellow pop-rock built around the vocals of Shelly Moore and acoustic guitar of Mike Passaro, both from North Carolina. Opener "Empty Well" sets the tone, an exploration of faith, knowing your own inadequacies and the emptiness of this world's resources - and finding the depths and total adequacy of the living water in contrast to "this dried up, empty well." The music reflects this, a start which is almost tentative building up confidently, electric guitars (with a sound somewhere between Roger McGuinn and The Edge) overlaying the acoustics. One of the highlights of the album is "Holy", a quieter acoustic number, effectively expressing a response to God's holiness and recognising that all we can do is rest and receive. "Jesus Paid It All" is the only song not written by the band (words by Elvina M Hall, 1865, music by the band): "I heard the Saviour say/'Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, watch and pray/Find in me thine all in all'": these words sum up the theme of the whole album. Shelly's voice can sound thin on the high notes and sometimes strained, and the songs start to sound a little samey after awhile, but this is a good first album from a band with potential for more.

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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