STYLE: Roots/Acoustic RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 87980-16294 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Paul Kerslake
Ken is an Australian singer/songwriter and this is his third project following the aptly titled four track EP, 'Humble Beginnings', and the second release, 'Prodigal Son'. 'Father's House' is Ken's longest and most fully realised project to date. An accomplished acoustic guitarist with many years of experience under his belt, Ken showcases his instrumental skills with some particularly intricate 12 string playing. Ken composed, arranged and produced the album, and while it is not a bad piece of work by any means, ultimately this detracts from what could be a good album. There are 17 songs here and a running time of over 78 minutes, with the opening track extending to over eight minutes alone. I wonder if Ken had worked with a producer that the songs and ideas could have been honed down to something slightly shorter and more satisfying. As it is it's the shorter songs like that "High Praises" and "Dance Before the Lord" (which has an excellent guitar riff) which work best. Similarly, while the arrangements are reasonable, the execution of the drum programming detracts from the final product.
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