Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Mark Heard has been around for years. Of course he originally came out of Larry Norman's camp along with Randy Stonehill and Tom Howard, and three or so years back made an unsuccessful pitch for crossover success with the synth-rock personal deola. Now he's wisely returned to his roots and his latest is written, produced and engineered by himself has fourteen songs and features accordion, fiddle, acoustic guitars and harmonica. Yep, truly more than a folk rock album. But don't stop reading; it's country that kicks gritty yet grooves, and no-one shouts out 'yee-ha' anywhere on the whole set. With touches of Leon Russell, Tom Petty and Dylan, Mark snarls his messages of woe and hope reaching deep within himself and pulling out nasal howls that erupt like a coyote on the night of a full moon. Acoustic guitar spits out riffs, the fiddle darts in and out and the occasional telecaster keeps us on the trail in true Jimmy Reed style. A lone female sings the harmony, drums and bass hold the arid atmosphere together. The texture of the music fits the themes of the songs perfectly. The cover pictures Mark with cowboy hat playing guitar in the open space of the prairie. The first song 'Rise From The Ruins' speaks of the resurrection of humankind capturing the feel of dust to dust. The title song 'Dry Bones Dance' continues the theme. Moody, raw, well worth parting with your £6.49.

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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