Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

I was a big fan of Lone Justice when I was attending Greenbelt '87 and I remember that the singer with this Californian band was touted as having a voice similar to Maria McKee. Their one and only album, released in that year, introduced the world to the stunning vocals of the diminutive Crystal Lewis whose energetic performance and big voice in a small frame took my breath away. Produced by Terry Taylor, this slab of jangling garage pop songs could certainly be filed alongside some of the country influenced indie acts of the time on songs like "Revival Meeting" and "Cryin' Eyes". She can also swing on "Heart Beat" and kick back on "This Love's For Real" and let her voice really capture the listener. And perhaps that's one of the reasons the band didn't last beyond this one album. The backing, from a bunch of musicians who had previously recorded as The Lifters, is okay but nothing amazing while the voice stands out streets ahead of everything else. The closing version of "Over The Rainbow" is a cute way to bring everything to a close!

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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