STYLE: Gospel RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 43497-13483 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: CD EP ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Chantelle Codner won the Star Awards gospel talent search in 2006 and this, her debut EP, features a couple of acoustic tracks featuring the excellent guitar work of Joseph "Big Joe" Lawrence and both songs work well. The opening cut "Battle Ground" highlights Chan's beginnings as a songwriter and "He Lives" works equally well. I have to confess that I prefer the remixed version of "Battle Ground" which doesn't make an appearance until track three and had I been Chan I would have promoted this up to the lead song, but no matter! This is a good introduction to a new talent and Star Awards are to be commended for picking her out of the crowd. The closing title cut is a prayerful version of Psalm 51, again with acoustic backing which is simply putting the Scripture to song in a rambling fashion without really creating any hook. Again it shows off the vocal talent but as a song is a little sprawling. A good start, Chan can certainly write songs and the girl can sing but she'll need a concerted effort to take the leap to a full album both in finding a more compelling style of presenting her songs and working on the songwriting to cover a whole album's worth.
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