Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

At first hearing, this is the sort of stuff you'd expect from any number of talented American singer/songwriters, but pause, read the lyrics, have another listen and go deeper. This is Byron's fourth independent project, it's very well engineered and produced, and he says that many of the songs are drawn from his own life experiences. He's lived through all of them and his aim in releasing the CD is so that it could help both him and others to grow closer to God. The opener, "If I Were The Devil", is Byron whimsically pondering on how he'd behave were he the Prince of Darkness. Not by wearing red, carrying a pitchfork or breathing fire, but by making "moms and dads that never stick around, and pain so bad you had to drink to drown, and guilt so I can kick you when you're down." Things get really serious, however, with "I'm Trying"; this is Byron sharing a part of his life that he would rather no one knew about. The song's about abuse, physical and emotional, and bullying people taking advantage of their weaker, more vulnerable fellow humans. Not the sort of subject matter you'd expect from a CCM album, but if you're only into happy clappy froth instead of meaningful, thought provoking music, I wouldn't expect you to be reading this sort of review. Well worth seeking out.

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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