Reviewed by Grace Towers

Canadian singer/songwriter Joe has been releasing albums since 2005 and this is his fifth. You can almost feel the sunshine radiating from 'Brothers'. The songsmith has brought together an eclectic yet beautifully balanced combination of tracks. The album doesn't box itself in with particular genre but is characterized mostly by its chilled, Jack Johnson-style acoustic nature getting progressively more mellow and contemplative as it continues. The album kicks off with an Irish jig (this took me a little by surprise) but the liveliness of the track reflects the sense of fun you can tell the musicians are having whilst playing. This draws you in and by the end of the track you can't help but want to dance along. Contrastingly another track "Dead Man Rise", has a lot of soul. I would describe this simply as a "funky" track with simple yet effective harmonies and close-to-the-bone lyrics. Track three is the deal breaker. Home truth lyrics and a catchy chorus, you will find yourself singing along to this all day. Zambon has a hard hitting way of phrasing lyrics, the sort that force you to sit up and listen while underpinning all his songs is the reality of a close walk with Jesus. Zambon is excited about this album and he has good reason to be. I am too!

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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