Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

Comparable with Kristian Leontiou, Daniel Powter and Jack McManus, this beautifully crafted third studio album from American singer/songwriter McDonald is a selection of acoustic-based songs filled with listenable hooks, catchy melodies and lyrics which show a knowledge and love of Scripture, especially Psalms and Proverbs. The title reflects McDonald's desire to return to his "alt-folk" roots and to be rooted and grounded in Christ and he is obviously someone comfortable, or perhaps more accurately, secure in his faith. He does like to mix 'n' match musical styles, and though the overall feel of the album is of mellow pop there is variety too, such as the bluesy sound of the title track, the funky feel of "Greed" where the growing instrumentation gives a feeling of greedily adding more and more to the song, the acoustic groove of "Shadowlands" is a masterful reworking of Psalm 23, "Captivated" is a light pop song expressing wonder in a creation that points to an amazing God and "Time" presents the well known words of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 in a folky dance format. The closing track "Hallelujah" is not the oft-covered Leonard Cohen creation, but a haunting reflection on the beatitudes starting with a simple guitar-based backing and working up to an orchestral crescendo. A perfect end to a near perfect CD from a man at home with his faith and his music who invites us to share in both.

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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