Debby Barnes - Messages

Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Though American-born, Debby has been based in the UK since the early '90s. Her first two recordings were very positively received here at Cross Rhythms, and, despite attempts to accord this hour-long third disc a more consistent sense of style, by combining elements of what Debby ably describes as "American folk music with contemporary Celtic-rock," her music remains thoroughly and delightfully eclectic. Certainly there are elements of Celtic music and acoustic folk (eg, the fiddle abounds throughout), as there are too of pop and jazz (and even, on one track Messianic). But these genres are often fused together in such a creative and original manner as to make it almost impossible to categorise the album as a whole. It's seven years since Debby's last CD - during which time the faith of both her and her husband were severely tested. As she puts it, "Our priorities shifted from creative-mode to one of survival." Oddly, around the same time, all other musicians working on the present project began experiencing similar crises. As a result, these songs - with titles such as "Clinging To The Cross", "I Can Count On You" and "Bleeding Heart" (based on John Henry Jowett's observation that "As soon as we cease to bleed, we cease to bless"), carry all the more poignancy, offered as they are from deep personal experience. Not that melancholy and pain are the predominant mood - several tracks sparkle with joy and optimism. Once again, Phil Goss (As If.) takes production credits, and the outcome is another moving and spiritually encouraging offering.