Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

British singer/songwriter Esther Alexander is something of a CCM veteran largely thanks to her appearances on albums by the likes of Spring Harvest, Soul Survivor and Matt Redman - not to mention her own blossoming solo career. Her latest release sees her team up with Sting producer Kipper to deliver an array of well-crafted pop songs co-written by Alexander, the aforementioned producer, Phil Baggaley and guitar virtuoso Dave Clifton amongst others. Alexander possesses the perfect pop voice, one which sits perfectly against an ever-shifting backdrop of styles, moods and sounds. Each track stands out in its own right from the confessional title track to the contemplative closer "End Of The Land" but the highlight of this collection has to be a spellbinding cover of "Fragile" which challenges Sting's original in terms of depth and feeling. Whilst "5th December" - complete with surprise trombone solo - points towards Alexander's faith, it has to be said that this release is not obvious in its references to God. This is not helped by songs such as "Safety Net" suggesting we only have ourselves to rely on in times of trouble and lyrics such as "I look to the stars and beg for wisdom/And they now show me the path" in the title track hinting at there being another source of guidance other than the one true God. Nonetheless, an enduring and varied release from a talented artist.

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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