Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Now here's a treat for those now hooked on the classic The Fatherless And The Widow' album and wondering how we must wait for a follow up to that classic. The band have now very considerately made available the four demos that landed the band from Texas a deal with REX, on CD. The arrangement of "Trust" here is quite different again to the two versions on the album proper and not as good, Leigh Bingham sounding a tad hesitant (she probably was being a mere slip of a thing back in '92). But the killer is "Spotlight". Those readers living in Devon will have heard it on the Cross Rhythms Experience radio programmes (the track was featured on the 'ACM Journal's 3rd Anniversary Compilation CD') and is a favourite of CR producer Jonathan Bellamy. Astonishing as it may sound, taking the vocal mike momentarily away from the delicious Ms Bingham, wrapping around a layer of haunting keys, and therefore turning it into a Matt Slocum solo is, by a short head, even more splendid than the proper album version. There are a couple of other high-quality demos here. Plus there's a bonus (not credited on the sleeve) - two songs recorded live during Sixpence's tour with 10,000 Maniacs. And for UK readers prepared to rush off their cheques to Dual Edge, there's another bonus. The sleeve comes signed by all the band! Devotees of one of the most original new sounds in CCM will surely soon be seiging Soho.

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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