Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Although music downloads are cool and pretty much the best thing since liposuction, don't you think that there is something about holding a CD cover in your hand, looking at the pics and reading through the track listing? The titles of these nine songs get my interest quickly: "Freaked Out Stories", "Goodbye Constantine" and "Answer Cuthbert's Prayers", what's that all about then? Okay I'll tell you, it's about Cuthbert who was born in 635 ad, he was a soldier who fought probably for Northumbria against the king of Mercia, he joined a monastery after the conflict and prayed for the land. He died and was laid to rest, then in 875, his poor old bones started to get lugged about from place to place because of the threat of invaders. Finally in 1104 his body found its resting place in Durham Cathedral. Taking a look inside the coffin, Cuthbert's body was found to be incorrupt, just like he was asleep, perfectly preserved. (Well, that's the story.) Rock songs, they're all about sex, drugs and rock'n'roll aren't they? Not these. Leeds songwriter Graham Fell, aka Bernamica Gray, chooses intriguing themes to sing about. Tight drums, blistering guitar and funk over-tones make up the bulk of his stripped-down rock, which has space yet enough energy to kick hard enough to hurt. Guitar notes weave in and out of the vocals, not in an annoying way either. In some of Gray's songs he isn't the typical guitar hero, he's far enough on this side of modern to be taken seriously by today's music press, but on others he reverts to traditional axe-man techniques, which date the songs. The production isn't the greatest and there are some weak spots, including a few struggling vocals, but it's easy enough to forgive these considering the high points.

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.