Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Indiana Gregg is an American songwriter who has been living in exile in Europe for a dozen years. She's had quite a life and in her 35 summers, more than her fair share of obstacles to overcome so it's refreshing to find such a set of uplifting, upbeat, positive songs. Her skill is to weave a thread of optimism through songs drawing on everyday experiences. "Oh Me Oh My" catalogues the pressures of the sort of disastrous day we all have from time to time yet by the end of the song you're smiling. The confessional "Love Is Blind" plots a course of emotional searching that sees Indiana coming full circle and rediscovering God's love. Not that you would know she's talking about God necessarily because the songwriting throughout the album is very subtle and yet that nagging optimism pervades every song. She creates songs that are infused with melody and draw the listener in deeper as she tells her stories. Her bright poppy sound is topped by a strong voice as good as any female songwriter operating out there today. The question is whether with high profile support slots including the recent Lemar tour, she can catch the public imagination. Meanwhile the count all your blessings message of her current single "Sweet Things" deserves to win her a wider audience. This is an accomplished debut that grows better with every spin in my CD player.

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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