Reviewed by Russell Rook

Beware of first impressions because they can often be quite valid or so I have discovered since my first journey into the world of Brian Barrett. Blue eyed Brian is from the Garth Brooks school of country music, who to the uninitiated are a group of musicians who are intent on proving, to sceptics like myself, that 90s country music is more than Dolly Parton with a video. The image of Barrett climbing into a battered orange American pick-up truck on the back of the album goes a long way to grounding him as a very white lined, middle of the road musician. The attractive tunes, obligatory guitar licks, Hammond organ backings, soaring choir descants and sweeping cello solos all bring their own extra sense of familiarity to the occasion. The driving resonance of Steve Camp lurks behind the corners of tracks like "The Cross Road" while the influence of Mark Cohn is evident in the more meditational numbers. "No One Knows My Heart" is a beautiful highlight which has repeatedly found a home in my hi-fi and songs like "Bow Now" can be seen as distant relations, in lyrics at least, to the work of the King of the Big Statement, Keith Green. Barrett's use of "The Word" as a basis for all his songs has obvious benefits although the paraphrasing of St John's words into "It won't be so hazy, in the next world baby" has a superficiality about it that just has to be savoured. Another product from Safeville, Tennessee Brian Barrett has produced a pleasant album which rarely demands much from its audience and steers clear of excessive adventure. I am sure that this will please many a listener and frustrate others, however from someone who longs for Christians to make bigger statements in both their creativity and their message, Brian Barrett scores an amiable five out of ten.

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.