Reviewed by Andy Cooper

Rebecca is a singer and songwriter based in Yorkshire and is raising money for Justice For All: Prison Fellowship Ethiopia with the proceeds of this 11 track CD. There are themes of deliverance and justice in many of the songs here, such as "The Prisoners' Prayer" and "Your Face". But though the melodies are memorable and tuneful, the songs tend to be over-full with words, cramming them in when they don't comfortably fit, or adding extra verses when a repeated chorus would reinforce the meaning with more resolve. Rebecca's singing style is very much classical choir girl, with precise levels of diction and pitch but unfortunately at the expense of character and emotion. Though the styles are varied throughout the album, there are a number of mis-fits between vocal style and band dynamics. The rock guitars and drums are just too forceful for such a pure and fragile voice. The calmer, more classical and Celtic numbers sit comfortably with her voice (such as "I Will Carry You" and "Who Is This") and show much greater potential for future development. Think Clannad rather than Cranberries. The Iona-styled "When I Survey" is a highlight, but is inevitably compared to Joanne Hogg's remarkable rendition of the same. Without the charitable cause here, I might have been a little more severe with my judgment.

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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