Reviewed by Philip Croft

Although this band have been gigging since the late '80s this is only there second release to date (their first album 'You-Me-Everyone' got 8/10 when it was reviewed in CR38 - April/May '97). Previous reviews of this release, which you can read at their website, describe the band as folk rock and sounding like Simon And Garfunkel and Dire Straits. Personally, I found Mark Millar's excellent guitar playing very similar in places to Mark Knopfler which in my opinion is certainly no bad thing. Overall, the musicianship is very strong and is testimony to the many years they have spent gigging together. The band's lyrics are also refreshingly upfront and uncompromising. Although the songwriting is a bit uneven there are some outstanding tracks with "Not Perfect", "Coffee Bars And Christian Bands" and "Free To Live" all thoroughly deserving a listen. I am confident that Ascension have a future and certainly have the talent to gain a wider following. But don't just take my word for it, visit their website and have a listen for yourself.

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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