Reviewed by Dave Brassington

I doubt if any other style of country music could possibly come up with anything like the opening track, "You Ain't Never Been To Texas!" It is a very simplistic denunciation of a belief in evolution Texas style! John really has the sort of 'lived in' type voice evocative of many country artists who have paid their dues over a long time, likely travelling many a mile to play to a few people in small beer joints! Musically, John comes across like a cross between Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings and in fact "Get Out Of The Boat" really reminded me of the Jennings classic "Lukenbach Texas". The title track probably illustrates the album best, a sincere self-penned opus about following Christ. The project continues in a similar heartfelt manner, with John pouring his heart out on strong gospel pieces like "Time For Me" and "That Man", a duet with Greg McDougal while for a change of pace there is a lively western swing number, "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart". 'I Choose Now' would have been improved with more uptempo songs, as after awhile heartfelt ballads can become a bit monotonous. However there are some strong Christian messages hidden away here and John Randolph is an artist I shall keep a look out for in the future.

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