Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Canadian four-piece Grace Ladder blend a rootsy folkiness with rock sensibilities and emerge from the shadows with an album strong on melody and packed with harmonies. If you're into the roots thing, there is plenty of quirky stuff here to enjoy. They are also not above having a bit of fun. The chunkiness and humour of "Soul Food" which attacks every kind of fast food you could imagine brought a smile to my face. Obviously a subject close to the heart of songwriter Jack Francis since he's a chef by day! Elsewhere, on songs like "Hear The Word" and "Jesus Is Alive", it is clear that Grace Ladder take their message very seriously indeed. "Grace Is The Place" and "Follow Him" are built on very strong acoustic guitar riffs. The closing vibe of "Do You?" is challenging in its simplicity whereas something like the up-tempo "Soldier Of Souls" and the brilliant "Speak To Me"" are full of interesting lyrical twists and turns. There's much to enjoy in an acoustic fashion and the overall sound is somewhere between the Housemartins and Fat'n'Frantic. If that floats your boat, you know where to find it.

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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