Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

Opening with a gentle hum and a piano run that sounds suspiciously like "Abba Father" it then builds into a moving song with a really nice Irish lilt to the tune. This is a fairly sparse recording - the drumming is very restrained in sound for example and the album reminded me a bit of bands like Ben Folds Five, Hothouse Flowers and Divine Comedy. The lead vocal is very good - a very clear treble that will lead congregations easily (as is their aim). I did feel that the arrangements from the Co Armagh-based band were a bit sparse: they felt very mid-service reflective without the big crescendo a full service requires. "Newness" has a strong melody, complete with some great background fiddle work. Lyrically, it's very much what you'd expect from a worship-focussed band but "Beneath The Cross" deserves special mention as this is where it seems to all come together, the backing complementing the lyrics especially as they sing "the cross is not the end" at first gently, then triumphantly.

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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