Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

This is a rockin' good album from a Texas-based artist right from the opening R&B riffs through to the last song. The electric guitar solos in particular are superb while the support from sax, organ, harmonica and percussion is of a high standard, as are the production values that allow each instrument to breathe without any sense of clutter. Miller's voice is absolutely suited to the genre, combing gravel and sugar with seasoned confidence. The gospel lyrics are uncompromising. I loved the funky "Chillin' With God" where Miller is joined on vocals by his son Sam, while "Who Dat Gonna Love You Like Jesus" has a country feel and is probably the most infectious track. The opener "No One To Blame But Me" is a refreshing blame-taker, no responsibility shirking here. "I Ain't Ashamed" is a powerful statement of standing up for the faith. Slow blues like "I Need You" are as effective as the rockers and there are a few hot instrumentals like "Santa Ana" which give the virtuoso playing a workout without being in any way self-indulgent. "Terrorist Blues" mixes politics and religion and I thought it was the least successful track. Yes, he's getting at Muslim terrorists who give their religion a bad name, but for me it needed to be more sensitive. The last track "A Few Minutes With Michael" is just that - Miller invites the listener directly to pray with him. It may do some good, but personally I'm not a fan of spoken word tracks. The sleeve is nicely designed, but lacks a lyrics sheet or comprehensive credits - I had to head for Miller's website to get more information and while Brad Parish is credited with the great sax playing I'm still not sure if Miller is playing all the rest of it or if there's a band or session players.

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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