Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

London-based singer/songwriter Deborah John-Charles has put together a collection of straightforward simple pop songs, relying a great deal on keyboard programming with some other instruments introduced here and there. Penning her own material and working at a grassroots level, Deborah is a classic example of an independent artist struggling to produce a quality release in the face of budget deficiencies. Unfortunately, the holes in the budget show through so that the sound of this CD is a little cheap, and occasionally tier vocal performance is less than perfect. But then at the other end, a song like "Runaway" has a lovely atmosphere which seems to transcend the limitations of the recording. The classical style opening of "Come Unto Me" again demonstrates creativity. However, the majority of this is fairly ordinary sounding pop music which does not have enough going for it to really grab 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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