Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

I must confess that my heart sank a little when the latest package from the Greybearded One landed on my mat. More kid's schlock I thought, looking at the angelically-featured little blonde-haired girl on the CD sleeve. But then I remembered that Jim Bailey's previous album got a good review; when I checked in CR33 I found that it got a perfect 10. So I shoved this CD in the player and hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't, not by a long chalk. This is labelled "A Family Album", intended to be enjoyed by kids as well as adults, and this 50 year old was very impressed; 12 songs, over 48 minutes of music and never a dull moment. Every song is different in style, no cringeworthy kids with seriously bad arrangements: Cedarmont this ain't! There's funky rock, acoustic ditto, Jars Of Clay-type indie, Celtic stompers, gentle acoustic ballads, and even the obligatory "silly song" is a delight, 'cos Jim sends himself up something rotten, and also, it's fun! "The ultimate family album" might be marketing hype, but until something better comes along, I'll settle for this. And unlike some other stuff I could mention, this is gonna get played over and over.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.