Reviewed by Anthony Longville

This is the fifth release from a critically acclaimed Finnish singer/pianist who formerly was a Eurovision contestant (I bet she is tired of people saying that). As well as lead vocals Nina plays elegant keyboards while for the first time Nina is also the chief lyricist, putting her English qualifications to use. Nina describes her own music as pop/folk. There's a hint of gentle jazz too. The delivery from the vocals to the instrumentation is mellow indeed. The voice I feel is rarely really stretched. It's friendly and warm. Nina says that she writes her lyrics from a Christian perspective, but they are by no means preachy. At times I have to admit to finding it a little difficult to really grasp where the lyrics are intended to lead me. "Freedom Within Prison Walls" moves partly in to more rocky territory. Nicely played, nicely sung and for those who remember that excellent 'A Matter Of Time' released in the UK back in 1993, this is an import worth searching out.

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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