Reviewed by Peter Dilley

It says on the sleevenotes, "This album is all about dark shadows and mountain peaks, or in a word, life." Fair enough: I'm all for being real and honest, but I'm not sure whether I could relate to this whatever mood I was in. Opener "The Everlasting Light" is a dreary piano ballad, perhaps with echoes of Chris De Burgh, and the pleading confessional song "Here I Am (Forever)" sounds too grim to convey any sense of hope. Even when he's trying to be cheerful, this singer/songwriter from County Armagh sometimes doesn't always strike the right note, "New Beginning" does have a chirpy feel, but "Home At Last" is a rather half-hearted blues number. He makes a better job of the blues with "Devil, Liar, Thief", but that's probably because he's nicked the first chunk of Dave Edmunds' rendition of "I Hear You Knocking". And if its corny lyrics weren't enough ("As I look into your face, I can sing 'Amazing Grace'/'Cause I know what grace can do. I know it's there for you.".. I really daren't go on!), "The Singer's Song" sounds like a rewrite of "Seasons In The Sun" - a tear-jerker if ever there was one. Too much a case of good news packaged like bad news.

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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