Reviewed by Tony Cummings

His debut album 'Saints And Sinners' was very good but it was his brilliant rendition of Larry Norman's "Shot Down" (originally for the 'One Way' compilation and track four here) which announced to the CCM world that Michael Anderson was something special. His voice is a gritty, gutsy, world weary growl while the arrangements are meaty, full of shattering power chords, searing swirls of guitar and funky bottom. His lyrics bite deep into their subject too. Here, he is eschewing the shallow sloganeering of some of his Nashville contemporaries. Songs of faith and redemption ("In this world of compromise, Most people slowly die"), soul overcoming fear ("There's a candle in the window/There's a flame that burns for you/Though you're walking in the darkness/There's a light to see you through.") and a compelling piece of improvised atmosphere, "The Post Moderne Soul Antenna" vie for attention. My current faves are "Soul Man Myself" with its affectionate tribute to old Motown grooves, the blistering opener "Love Is The Hard Part" and a song "for poets, artists, musicians, revolutionaries, missionaries and other dreamers", "Revival". A thrilling album by a fine new rock songwriter/musician.

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