Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

I first became aware of Skellig when they played Cross Rhythms Roots & Branches in 1997; despite the cold (poor Lisa had to go and get her jacket to avoid hypothermia), they put across a gutsy brand of Celtic rock that warmed up the few hardy souls watching. The set they played that day drew heavily on their first album 'In Another Time' which got a perfect 10 in CR35, and listening to the 12 new songs on 'Fragile' backs up their claim that the sound is maturing. The basic ingredients are the same, Lisa's haunting violin, Chris's distinctive lead vocals, reminding me of Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, underpinned by a solid acoustic rock base, and a set of songs written by Lisa and Chris that are God-centred yet at the same time relevant to the hurting and the lonely and those in the valley of the shadow who know nothing of the Saviour or his love. A cracking album that deserves to be heard; destined for much airplay on UCB Cross Rhythms or I'll eat Tony Cummings' hat. Encourage these anointed musicians and get your cheques off pronto.

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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