Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Trip's first album 'Dancing About Architecture' was one of the most incredible things I've ever heard for Trip is an amazing musician. A friend of Caedmon' s Call and sometime bass player in Bebo Norman's band, Trip is humble about his many talents. When solo, he plays bass like a lead instrument - his debut featured some pretty snazzy playing in a fairly laid back fashion. This time round, Trip sounds angry and the album vibrates with edginess. Once more mixing vocal and instrumental pieces, there are plenty of highlights here and you'd be amazed at what he can do with a bass guitar. Of the vocal tracks, "This Thing" is probably my favourite with Trip spitting out his vocal with conviction. His solo bass pieces are excellent so you get the gentle "Blessed" and "What We Leave Behind", but these are juxtaposed with the louder "That Song (That Makes Life Wonderful)" and the extremely brief, 100 second long "Wide-Eye (With The Benevolent Bumpy People)", which again see him indulge in an entanglement of rhythms and melodies that blow your mind with what a bass can do! Where he gets instrumental support from other players, obviously the sound is expanded and the best example is the frenetic guitar and bass interface of "Conversations". Vocally, the starter "Lament" is a stunning explosive opening to the album, featuring some excellent flute from Bob Bowers. In a bland, obvious, record by numbers world, thank God for artists like Trip Wamsley who take music out of the box. Trip is one of the few artists in Christendom who would be capable of creating a sense of wonder in a mainstream setting simply because he's so adventurous. Why nobody has yet signed up this maverick musician astounds me. After the pressing of 'The Difference Engine' has sold out it will be going out of production so get your order in!

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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