Reviewed by Ewan Jones

Beggar is a project founded by American Scott Jibben, who wrote and recorded all the music on this CD. On the whole it's a good blend of funky moments, carried along on a wave of Latin influenced rhythms, balanced with epic ballads and slower numbers. The respect I have for this recording is in the extensive use of Scripture - catchy melodies stick in your head, and before you know it, you're humming the Bible. The cunningly named "5:46" is a response inspired by Matthew 5:46, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?", while "One Body" is lifted straight from Luke 10, 1 Corinthians 9 and 12 - challenge and encouragement to fulfil our corporate responsibility as the body of Christ. Also moving is "Into These Hands", an atmospheric and epic track reflecting on the last days of Jesus' life, again straight from the Word. As a start, it's promising. The music is tight but the production could be worked on - the upbeat numbers could do with fattening up and sometimes the vocals can be hard to make out, but the songs are accomplished and honed. If Scott can get a solid band around him, future recordings will benefit greatly. If you plan on going with a wildcard, you could do worse than pick up 'Scraps Of Grace'.

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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