Rites Of Passage by Paul Field & Dan Wheeler

Reviewed by Doug Holland

The stated intention of this recording is to be "relevant, comforting, challenging and inspirational" through the "significant and transitional moments of life." To that end, amongst the 14 tracks (total playing time of 58 minutes; this includes two poems penned by Field and read by Graham Kendrick) are songs referencing directly the birth of a son and the death of a close friend, together with a number of others that hint more generally at periods of difficulty and sadness. All but two of the songs are written by Field and Wheeler alone or in partnership and the music is essentially based around the acoustic guitar (primarily finger style) with other guitars, drums, bass and Hammond organ adding body. Both Field and Wheeler are accomplished songwriters and fine musicians and the song arrangements they have brought to bear are well thought through and easy on the ear. Whilst it is likely that individual songs will speak into particular listener circumstances, as an end-to-end listening experience the collection suffers from a lack of variety (approach to the subject matter, rhythm, tempo), intensity (musical, spiritual or emotional) and intimacy, and by placing both of the poems close to the end of the collection there is a sense of the set struggling a little to get across the finish line. Good, but missing a spark.