Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I had great hopes of this album, a simple but classy sleeve, a biog that told me singer/songwriter Ian had been working on Passive Resistance' for two years, an association with the brilliant Sam Hill. But I found it uninvolving and laid back to the point of torpor. Maybe it was that lan's voice doesn't have a great deal of passion, maybe it was Richard G Mitchell's production which though always highly musical lacked stylistic focus. Or maybe the problem was the songs which, though penned by an articulate wordsmith, seemed devoid of that old songwriter commodity 'hooks'. If your tastes veer toward ultra subdued, slightly melancholic music you might violently disagree with this review. But for me all the fine playing couldn't cover a dull and dreary musical set.

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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