Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Having built up a substantial following on MySpace, Illinois singer/songwriter Owen Pye has recently signed to Blackroom Records to release his accomplished third album. The punchy riff-laden opener "Keep On Sinning" showcases Pye's ability to turn in a performance that demands to be listened to whilst lyrics like "God, I want to tell you everything/Can you hear me over this guitar?" set the scene for an album of frank sentiment. Whilst he chooses to cover a range of thorny issues in his songs - troublesome relationships ("Barriers"), man's sin ("Pharisee Of The State") and despondency ("This Morning") - Pye is careful to reference the hope found in Jesus in the likes of the optimistic "Aches And Pains". Elsewhere, a wonderful cover of the legendary Billy Joe Shaver's "If I Give My Soul" is the icing on the cake of an album that just gets better with every listen. With an earthy sound and some delightful musical moments courtesy of Pye, his band and producer Chris Bonney, this is a top notch release that will hopefully see this talented artist connect with an international audience.

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