Reviewed by Gareth Hills

Synths! Riding the steady wave of electronics and the synthetic noise that has been making a comeback in recent years, the American musicianary Dunn and his band have here crafted a truly quite wonderful collection of songs, exploring love and faith, tied together in a lovely bundle of worship. After a gorgeous introduction, which layers a lone synthesizer lead over some strummed ukulele chords, and bathes them both in a wash of lush pads, the album joyfully explodes into its first song which sets the celebratory, yet reflective tone which defines the rest of the album. There's that feeling you get when you're listening to a certain record or band where every song feels like a treat for your ears because they're so well crafted - Radiohead's 'OK Computer', for instance. While this album doesn't quite reach those giddy heights, I was struck with how well the arrangements sat in each of the songs. As you've probably gathered, the whole album is quite synth-heavy, but this is in no way its defining attribute. The drummer lays down rhythms across the record which both drive the whole thing forward while being both creative and interesting, while Benjamin Dunn's vocals and the lyrics he delivers sound both comfortable and honestly construed. All in all, 'Fable' is a really beautiful album, not necessarily groundbreaking, but packed full of great ideas. A definite treat for the ears.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.