Reviewed by Alan Smith

A strange amalgam of Ray Charles/Little Richard vocallikes against a programmed rhythm machine and poly synth. The smoky bass playing redeems this extended EP a little, but the whole thing sounds like very hard going. A shame. Sam Esters has written some convincing songs in the traditional black gospel mould and when the voices have a go unaccompanied - "Earlyyyyyyy-a-one mornin'/Oh. yes it was-uhhhhhhhh" - then a truer picture begins to come into focus. The mike pop and vox box tell us that it's low budget, though, and the mind begins to think of how the remake would sound in the hands of a Nashville giant instead of a small independent. Nice to know that male gospel quartets still get to record but this is far from being an essential item.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.