Various - A Billy Smiley Project: Never Lost

Wednesday 4th September 2002
Various - A Billy Smiley Project: Never Lost
Various - A Billy Smiley Project: Never Lost

STYLE: Rock
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 6415-6312
LABEL: Cul De Sac 026297551025
FORMAT: CD Album

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Former '80s Christian rocker and A&R man Billy Smiley has brought together some of his friends and signings from his own Cul De Sac label to create a special project of Christian rock tunes. It features a brand new singer Andy Joslin who I am sure will be launched on the label in the near future and former Human vocalist Randy Kinnett whose band 8:28 seem to have taken an age to release their debut album. I'm still waiting guys! Meanwhile former White Heart compatriot Rick Florian gets a look in as well. Some of this is the rock equivalent of painting by numbers but then sometimes something explodes out of the speakers like Rick's "Simon Says" but I have to say that it's the Kinnett tracks that captured me most. There's a brilliant vocal performance on "That's Where Love Will Be" which also features some hefty guitar work from Dave Comer and former Geoff Moore guitarist Roscoe Meek. Another Kinnett track that leaps out is "Killing Me (With Kindness)" with its wall of guitar sound topped off by Randy's powerful singing whilst his breathy delivery of "Not Going Anywhere" is pure genius. At the lighter end of the spectrum, Andy Joslin skillfully delivers the excellent acoustic rock of "Carry You". Despite the considerable talent captured on the album, I'm left unconvinced that there is an overall coherence to the project which is one let down.

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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