Reviewed by Gareth Paul Taylor

Life On A Rock, namely Dean Kernoghan and Grace Taylor, boldly style themselves as "next generation.acoustic rock" in this five-track debut EP. The prevailing feel is more pop-oriented, but their website musings suggest these young Irish musicians do indeed take their heritage seriously, namedropping Neil Young, Tom Petty and Brian Wilson among their favourites - good call! The CD starts with "The Heavens Declare", rousing yet perhaps the weakest-sounding song on the EP with drums, distorted guitar and filtered vocals sounding a little too dull, dry and "garage" for commercial release, and belying the true acoustic bent of their mission statement. Stick with it though - there's a fresher sound to come. The EP gets better as it progresses, the more genuinely acoustic title track allowing Grace's attractively bright sound-defining voice to shine through. The programmed drums add to the crispness of the clean acoustic guitar on "One And Only", and tracks four and five reveal a more contemporary sound showcasing the band's stylistic and thematic diversity. Both are "girl-frustrated-with-apathetic-boy" love songs, bold additions to a CD otherwise worship-centred. The gentle closer leaves us wanting more, a delightfully subtle half-verse dropping away to the unaccompanied last note of Taylor's vocal. It's refreshing to see a young band like this so unashamedly reflecting all aspects of life in their songs. They deserve a wide audience.

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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