Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

It's not everyday that a Christian band gets coverage in that most liberal of newspapers The Guardian so imagine the surprise lo find that the darlings of Durham University, Coastal Dune were name-checked in an article about the rise of Christianity in our universities! This album has been much promoted in the north east as the band has been busy gigging in their home town and fast gaining a reputation as a hot band. This is remarkable when you consider the material contained on the CD is unashamedly Christian. Although mainly acoustic, the band has created a powerful vibe, a lot of it built around the dis­tinctive passionate singing of Becky Harding and the songwriting of guitarist Nick Drake. An album of contrasts from the powerful opener "Find Me" to the almost understated "Good Morning" which reminds me a little of Blueberry. The frankly twee "Gratified" sounds like a throwaway crowd pleaser included here ** for, well? Who knows why! To be honest it's a bit annoying although its Smurfs style la la la la la chorus is no doubt meant to be fun! Oh dear! Fortunately the band soon redeem themselves with the brooding epic "I Never Realised" awash with swirling synths and all kinds of programming - an excellent contrast to the guitar feel of the rest of the album. "You" takes us back into jangly guitars and Sixpence None The Richer territory but that's no bad thing! "In The Presence" kicks off with a looped rhythm and plenty of passion and again like much of this CD has a strong vibe and as catchy a chorus as you'd ever want to hear celebrating the presence of God. The song closes with a spine chilling interac­tive vocal crying out to Father and then it's silence for a moment. The secret bonus track is just gorgeous, spontaneous worship and a very special way to conclude a special CD. We'll be hearing more from Coastal Dune!

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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