Reviewed by Lukas Willcocks

Open the sepia toned, shadowy album cover - mostly shots of Paul somewhere in graffitied Brighton - slip on the CD and relax! No health warning required with this music, in fact it's positively uplifting and definitely God centred. Put it on while you're worshipping, washing the dishes or driving to work! Some will know of Paul's music from Kingsway's 'Young Lions' series with support from Martin Smith or seen him lead worship at his church CCK or Stoneleigh Bible weeks' youth event Solid Rock. Maybe you've sung some of his songs without knowing it, eg, the superb "It's All About You (Jesus, Lover Of My Soul)" or "Let It Rain". All the songs here are open and honest expressions of personal faith and salvation. OK, so why the rock category? Well, the 70s feel, the guitars and catchy tunes - the blurb says Brit pop, but I disagree, so much so I thought I'd better bring some balance to this review and ask others for some insight. "Very Paul Wellerish", "First couple of songs are good steady, respectable rock 'n' roll - Hammond organ, brass section and jangly guitar merging into jazzy R&B!", "Dire Straitsy - Mark Knofflerish voice", "The Jam, Bob Dylan, Beatles especially. 'Like A Child' sounds like George Harrison on guitar." But there's soul here too! "Adam's Race" sounds like a mix of Bee Gees (without a high voice!) with Tavaris! The brass is great - upfront in the mix but not overwhelming - bit like R&B veterans Sam & Dave. Musicians include Ben Castle and Rachel Head (ex-Phatfish). My only criticism is that the backing vocals and lead guitar could be more prominent. The album ends with the electronically atmospheric "River Of God".

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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