Helen Rowe - Light Shot Through

Monday 1st March 2004
Helen Rowe - Light Shot Through
Helen Rowe - Light Shot Through

STYLE: Rock
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 9230-8948
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Album
RRP: £4.99

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This Norwich-based singer/songwriter has a dramatic testimony of a life transformed from darkness to light. Her album has a retro '70s hippie, folkie feel like she hid away in a Welsh cottage and wrote a pile of songs. Hearing them, you take the journey with Helen travelling from the "Dungeons" of the opening cut to the power of the "Resurrection Tree" as she shares how her life was changed. Favourite songs? Difficult to dip into this as one song seems to wash into another without really making an individual impact but "Nasty Lies" has an enjoyable skittish, gentle, jazzy groove and I like the way "Solid Ground" explodes in electrifying fashion. It's nicely recorded and sounds like a cross between Carole King's 'Tapestry' and the mellower end of 'Led Zep III'. Unfortunately, the main weakness of the album is that despite the impact of the content and Helen's desire to communicate the amazing things that God has done for her, she needs to spend time writing songs with memorable choruses to grab our attention and pull us in. This is too easily relegated to background music rather than hooking me. But, having said that, the insights of her autobiographical lyric writing will ensure that many people will be ministered to through Helen's talent.

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.

Sample Track Listing:
1. Dungeons [Listen]
2. Dreamtime [Listen]
3. Two [Listen]
4. Fear [Listen]
5. Nasty Lies [Listen]
6. The Reason [Listen]
7. Seasons [Listen]
8. Solid Ground [Listen]
9. What Is Real [Listen]
10. Resurrection Tree [Listen]
11. Lift The Shroud [Listen]
12. Not Ready [Listen]

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.