Reviewed by Helen Whitall

This is the six-track debut EP from a London-based singer/songwriter and is a strong collection of worshipful songs with thoughtful lyrics. Richard's vocals have a polished pop sound with influences ranging from gospel through to various types of rock. The tracks range from the simple laid-back acoustic "Let Me Sing" to the upbeat and somewhat '80s-power-anthem tinged "Not Alone". The lyrics sound genuine and prayerful delivered with commendable honesty ("At times like these/I wonder what I'm for/'Cos I am sure that everyone/Can see my flaws"). There's plenty of interest right across the EP, with a range of instruments and backing vocals being brought in to create epic build-ups, and creative effects being used on the sound. Personally I felt he's perhaps trying to do too much in each track, so that he's hard to pin down stylistically. For example, "Overwhelming Peace" begins with a simple guitar riff, drops away into a mellow keyboard sound, brings in some beautiful sparkling instrumentation, a wonderfully contrasting military snare drum, some synth strings - and then a massive guitar solo explodes out of nowhere! I'd like to see him settle down into a particular style for each track on future releases. However, the EP has certainly been well produced (by co-musician Dan Storey), with the layers of sound building nicely over one another and allowing Richard's voice to shine.

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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