Reviewed by Andy Shaw

If you have not heard the story of Patrick Davis it is well worth hearing and you can read about it on his website. In short, whilst serving a 45 year sentence in prison and suffering the death of his brother, his life was transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ. Since his first album was released in 2000 he has travelled the world sharing his story through speaking and through his music. Taking his influences from a mixture of hip-hop, soul and rock Davis doesn't shy away from tackling issues that he is passionate about. On 'The Death Of Innocence' we see lyrical themes covering materialism, suffering and starvation and the responsibility of believers. Three of the tracks on the album are spoken liturgies set to music taken from the book Jesus For President by Shane Claiborne, Jim Loney and Brian Walsh. These prayers really show the passion and emotion which is so evident in the Davis' vocal delivery particularly on "We Will Not Comply". Musically the soul influence really shines through. This is not a hip-hop album full of big beats but of expansive strings and synths which provide the background over which the lyrics can paint the picture. Female vocals are added to give some texture and variety on "Kingdoms" and album closer "Prisoner Of War". This is clearly an album where the lyrics are the point and the music is merely there to support them. If you want to hear what this man has to say then it is a very listenable record, it doesn't however stand out from the hip-hop crowd when it comes to production.

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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