Reviewed by Tony Cummings

As you'd expect from a poet, Bradley Hathaway from Goshen, Arkansas is a fine lyricist with the narrative song "She Was Raised By A Man With A Sickness" crammed full of memorable images of a doomed relationship and the moving tale of a dying mother "Would You Think Less Of Me" demonstrating the wordsmith is a thoughtful observer of life. As a singer and composer he is less good. Hathaway's melodies are repetitive and simplistic presumably to keep them accessible to his limited, nasal voice while the production here, apart from some nice cello on the opener and some thunderous sounds on "The World Is Screaming", is nothing to write home about. Even the singer/songwriter's skilful use of imagery is rather spoilt by a willful lack of scanning on many of his lines. Apparently Bradley is much loved in the US subculture and did over 200 gigs last year. Maybe he's a blind spot for me.

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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