Reviewed by Ian Hayter

Fans of The Swirling Eddies have been waiting 10 years for this follow-up to 1997's 'Sacred Cows', an album which took a satirical side-swipe at the CCM industry. Brainchild of frontman, singer and Daniel Amos legend Terry Scott Taylor, working here as Wilbury-esque alias Eddy Camarillo, this 11-song set has been well worth waiting for. It is not an album of faith-by-numbers Christian platitudes, but an exploration of what it means to be fully human, with humour and some very, very good music. The start of the opening track "It All Depends" (probably the best of the bunch here) seems to promise a bit of prog-rock, but soon calms down into a track which is musically very mature and lyrically brilliant. "Cardboard Box", the tale of a homeless man trying to give his wife the best he can manage, runs it a close second for quality, but there are no bad tracks on this album. Camarillo/Taylor pokes gentle fun at himself in "Medley Of Our Hit" and "Giants In The Land" explores what it means to be an old rocker in an age desperate for innovation and youthful energy. The whole album was a delight on the first listen through, but gets even better on repeated listening. Discerning music fans should search this one out.

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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