Reviewed by Emily Lucas

After listening through this debut EP from a Nashville-based singer, songwriter and worship leader you have the sense of having drunk a rich blend of black coffee: On the whole, it is pleasing, uplifting and smooth, but then there are bitter mouthfuls you have to swallow when his theatrical embellishments prove a bit too much. Jason's career on the stage is clear and for most part his powerful voice fits with the rock-ballad sound of the EP. But in "Holding Out Hope To You" it is far from easy listening and his over enunciation and the vibrato on his long-held notes don't blend with the rest of the EP. The start is far more promising, "Holding Nothing Black" sporting an effective vocal, an encouraging song calling believers to surrender everything to God. Jason then moves into a more pop sound with "God Thing", a catchy tune that you would turn up in the car with the windows down on a hot sunny day followed by a cover of Vineyard Music's "Free" and a rock-ballad arrangement of the old hymn "I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy".

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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