Reviewed by Ewan Jones

Prolific poet and songwriter McIntosh has been writing and recording Jesus music for 40 years and his experience is brought to bear on many of the songs that echo pathos and wisdom on offer here. Happily, alongside longevity there is a sharp sense of humour which underly many of McIntosh's lyrics, demonstrated perfectly in the quirky "Chicken Gravy Blues". A quick browse (or in my case, a healthy stay) around McIntosh's own website (theoldcoyote.com) helps to give a much broader picture of the man himself - to get to know McIntosh is to understand the album that bit more. For all that, it's a real shame that the quality of the recording is not so good - subtleties in the playing are lost and the overall production is often flat and muddy, making the vocals hard to pick out. This is felt most strongly in the more upbeat numbers, particularly the excellent "Tough Guy" which suffers for not being able to sparkle with the righteous anger and confrontational poetry. Still, the spin on this is that 'Diamonds In The Litter Box' engenders a homegrown, rough and ready charm that harks back to early blues and Americana recordings - perhaps even Dylan's demos and early work. At over an hour it outstays its welcome a touch, but there are enough smart moments and thoughtful lyrics to keep the Old Coyote's fans happy.

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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