Reviewed by Steven Ecott

It is not often that you wake in bed with your head filled with a complete composition, but this is what David testifies happened to him. David Preston, a retired doctor from Hertfordshire, explained his experience, "I woke in the night and could hear music. In the following seven weeks I received over 50 songs, mostly at night. The strangest thing is that they arrived complete with words and music together, which surprised my family and friends as I had never before composed anything." This album, 10 of such songs, was recorded in Motherwell at the Foundry Music Lab studios by Graeme Duffin (Wet, Wet, Wet) and Graeme also lends his voice to six tracks, whilst bringing in guest vocalists Esther O'Connor (Ashton Lane), Gareth Davies-Jones, Yvonne Lyon and Rob Halligan on other songs. The title track, sung by Duffin, gives a very smooth, relaxing vibe combining emotive lyrics with a casual background blend of piano, guitar and soft drumming. However, you can't help but feel like the track repeats the same thing for the full five minutes. "I Stand In Awe" (Davies-Jones vocals) distinguishes itself as the most powerful track with a captivating hummed intro which leads into a heart-felt, moving piece, showcasing the true passion in David's lyrics. Also worth noting is "Redemption Song" which oozes an upbeat Spanish guitar vibe, but things slow right down with "He Has My Name". The concept of tempo is something the album wrestles with through its entirety. The last two tracks "I Have Known" and "Risen!" are fast and folk inspired and make for great listening. Having said all this, it remains an intriguing debut, put together with some fair skill. I look forward to hearing what David 'receives' next.

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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