Reviewed by Martin I Smith

Luke may be only 16 but this singer/songwriter from Canterbury was one of the surprise hits of the Greenbelt festival last year and working alongside Martyn Joseph - whose thoughtful acoustic pop is not dissimilar to Luke's - has given him plenty of profile. Despite his youth, Luke's voice is deep and full and his lyrics are hardly the jottings of transient teen heartache. The actual subject matter is open to interpretation, but there are spiritual themes present: take for example, the end of "Hometown"; "He'll say you don't know my name, I guess I am the only one to blame, he'll say you can walk away, or take my hand and be my boy today." Jackson's faith is expressed with little sign of naiveté; it is subtle and authentic, inviting without crumbling under the misconceived expectation that the gospel ought to be preached in every song. Yes, the lad is impressive.

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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