Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

"Rough-rustic soulful hip-hop and blues" is how Tommy Ray Odell's son Jesse describes his dad's music, and this is something of a family project; Tommy Ray's wife Elisabeth joins him on vocal duties, Jesse is a talented harmonica player and Tommy Ray's other son Tommy Lee helps his dad out on guitars. Completing the line-up is producer Marlan Hall, who looks after keys, programming and bass, everyone has input into the songwriting, and the result is nearly 55 minutes of music. The theme of the album is the plight of all kids who are suffering as a result of present day "out of sight, out of mind" attitudes, and whilst the mix of styles takes a bit of getting used to - blues one minute, hip-hop and rap the next with a dash of soul thrown in - this is a message that deserves to be heard. However, having said that, there's a rather schmaltzy number dedicated to Tommy Ray's late grannie, which jars somewhat. But I quibble. A slightly uneven listening experience, but it has its moments.

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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