Reviewed by Philip Crawley

I was fighting all the prejudices here - blue-eyed soul boy straight out of Nashville on Word - I was ready to not like this. How wrong can you be? Somewhere between Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael Card sits 23 year old Mr Ben Glover. He's recorded an album of 11 self-penned numbers - all with a fairly minimal band arrangement that doesn't sound too produced. I felt that I had to re-visit my assessment at the start of every song because there are loads of surprises. Heartfelt solo acoustic guitar gives way to quite edgy sequenced beats and all within the context of some very insightful lyrics. He is very honest in his writing, particularly on "My Only Hope" where he talks about "...my appetite for sin" and "...all the hidden things I say" - got me thinking about myself. As a debut album this is a stormer - well crafted songs of faith and community that hasn't been let down by formulaic production. The website is promising audio clips (so you can try before you buy) - but if you even vaguely imagine this as being your thing then give it a go - you won't be disappointed.

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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