Reviewed by Tom Lennie

It's quite an achievement to be promoting your third album in just two years, not least when recorded from one's own home studio. But Kent-based Fred Clark is accomplishing all this while still in his teens! The maturity of his vocal tones and the depth of his songwriting skills completely defy this Maidstone musician's youthful years. That he's maturing in leaps and bounds from the inexperience of his earlier recordings is also laudable. This set consists of 10 self-penned acoustic pop songs full of clever melodies and honest, original, thought-provoking lyrics that come over with a freshness and vitality that makes you sit up and listen. On a couple of tracks, such as the opening upbeat "Ocean Shore", Fred's vocal style is strangely - for a Kent guy - reminiscent of Runrig's Donnie Munro. Other tracks are more reflective, notably "Dawn", and the totally stripped down "Refuge" and "Save You". If there's any whiff of complaint it's that no song carries a truly catchy hook-line that remains with you. But that does nothing to stop this being a fine, well-produced solo output from a gifted singer/songwriter.

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.