Reviewed by Paul Kerslake

Liz has been working in the music industry for many years as an administrator at Hartlepool's Studio. During that time she has been amassing songs and also making contacts with many musicians. 'Coming Of Age' is the realisation of all of those years of hard work. "Ark" is a great opening track, the insistent syncopated piano line driving the song as it builds, sounding reminiscent of Kate Bush. "Prayer" starts dramatically with just Liz's voice before building up to a full band. There is lots of quality playing on here from some exceptional musicians including Liz herself, and they're not afraid to experiment with different styles and sounds; "Number One" has a definite African feel as does "Tsimihety" with music sampled from the Tsimihety tribe and jazz funk on "Front Line" and "Bottle". There is an assured '80s vibe to all of the music, maybe from the fact that it has been brought together from so many years of writing and experience, but this is no bad thing. I just hope it won't take another 30 years for Liz to realise her second album.

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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