Reviewed by Tony Cummings

With its banjo and fiddle into, repetitive melody and kiddy chorus the first cut "Hey There" suggested your long suffering reviewer was going to be in for a gruelling listening experience. But Ohio-based Richter doesn't have a growing reputation for nothing and I was soon pulled into Chip's warmth, sensitivity and winning way with words. The latter is no better demonstrated on this 2001 release than the title track which takes the nostalgic image of a young lad playing with his dad's winter overcoat to bring out a nifty spiritual message. This gem of a song with warm-hearted lilt and vocal and guitar contributions from CCM star Phil Keaggy deserves the widest circulation. Elsewhere Chip offers in "The Toothpaste Song" salient thoughts on the dangers of loose talk ("Like toothpaste out of a tube/My words just squirted out all over you/Now it's a sticky mess/And once it's out there's no putting back the Crest"). On the song "Good Fruit" Chip contributes lead vocal, backing vocal, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, bass guitar, percussion and drum sequencing. Now that's talent!

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