Reviewed by Paul Keeble

As a fellow Northern Irelander, now in exile, it's always good to hear a bit of music from The Mainland, and seeing the boul Brian Houston's name on the credits lifted my interest a bit further. The album begins with the title track, which was a bit disappointing, but at just over two minutes is maybe meant as a curtain raiser, as "Running On Empty" jumps in with an electric guitar riff Keith Richards would be proud of. Unfortunately no one has told Mr Jag that you can't have too much of a good thing as The Riff does not reappear until right at the end! Oh well. Otherwise, this is a strong song with a good hook. Third track "The Sea" features some nice acoustic guitar and bops along nicely, though there is a half-time section from about two minutes 30 seconds which meanders a bit. "Easter's First Fruits" is a hymn in the Celtic style à la Stuart Townend. Some nice lyrics - "Coal under pressure to diamonds will turn/And surely through trials we treasure shall earn" - and a simple piano accompaniment, but vocal a bit too creaky for these ears. We're into country and western for "This Simple Truth". Nice feel, great sentiments, but clichéd lyrics. "Dusty Photograph", co-written by Brian Houston is a touching song to a departed friend with a much stronger lyric. ("And as you move on down the broken track/You stumble on those pavement cracks/Well he's got your back"). Overall, the tunes vary somewhat in quality and the lyrics fluctuate between good, with occasional inspired, and tired with oft-used phrases given yet another outing. But still, a band well worth searching out.

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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