Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Canadian singer/songwriter Becka DeHaan is refreshingly difficult to pin down stylistically and this, along with a vocal performance that has the same inescapable emotional pull as her hero Eva Cassidy and some subtly adept piano playing, is the reason her debut album is such a joy. With one foot firmly planted in new country territory, proceedings kick off with an adaptation of Psalm 23 in "He Restores My Soul" whilst other originals such as "A Sunny Storm" and the title track set the scene for a collection of songs that reflect the love of God. Shifting expertly between full band outings and solo piano accompaniment, DeHaan is perhaps most at home when delving into bluesier territory - in particular, a breathtaking a cappella rendition of the old spiritual "Wade In The Water" and a great rendition of Eric Bibb's "Don't Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" in which she generously hands the song over to George Street Blues Project vocalist Sheldon Gordon after delivering an inspired Bonnie Rait-like vocal and an equally inspired piano solo. DeHaan offers up a heart-wrenching version of "Over The Rainbow" in tribute to the late great Eva Cassidy before closing this hugely enjoyable release on a spiritually reflective note with the fittingly sparse "Don't Worry About Tomorrow".

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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