Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter David Coate is a veteran of Christian music ministry having clocked up over three decades in the business and his ninth release to date reflects the expertise, craftsmanship and confidence that come with many years of plying the trade. There is an overriding '70s punchy pop/rock feel to proceedings with Coate thankfully resisting any urge to become too contemporary and it appears that a lot of time has been dedicated to making sure the melodies, lyrics and arrangements of each song are the best that they can possibly be. On the songwriting front, Coate expertly paraphrases well known Bible passages such as Matthew 7: 21-23 ("I Never Knew You") and Jeremiah 29:11 ("I Have A Hope") whilst successfully presenting a valid new version of the Apostle's Creed in "I Believe". Elsewhere, Coate shows off his considerable vocal dexterity in the likes of the slow soul of "It's All About Grace" and the worshipful "Who You Are" whilst proving his worth as an excellent lead guitarist with some stunning whammy bar-infested solos in songs such as "In The Twinkling Of An Eye" and the delightful instrumental "Joy" - the latter seeing Coate trade licks with keyboardist Steve Heck to great effect. In short, this is a well-crafted and impressive release from a man whose output gets better with age.

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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