Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Jon is a worship leader at one of Britain's best-known churches (Pioneer's Engage church in Leatherhead, led by Gerald Coates), so you might expect a congregational worship direction on his debut solo EP. But, although Jon classes his music as "evangelistic worship", in fact only one of these six songs could be described as clearly written for congregational use. "All of God's People" is a smart, edgy praise anthem in the style of, for example, Chris Tomlin. Elsewhere, the title track is a smart slice of upbeat pop with an optimistic theme. The beautiful melancholy "One More Life" carries a flowing piano-based melody in the vein of Keane and deals with the heavy subject of the death of a loved one. Then there's "Always You", an original, intimate personal expression of worship, and "Comfort", a tender, ambient song pointing to peace in Christ. This is an ambitious venture, with every track bringing out a new aspect of Ireland's creativity. Yet all holds well together through fine songwriting and vocals and by good production. A musician and a CD worth searching out.

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