STYLE: Reggae RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 2425-20051 LABEL: Independent RB3043 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £4.99
Reviewed by Peter Dilley
Even with a solo recording project, it helps to have a good team of musicians around you. Jamaican-born singer/songwriter Ricky Barnett joined forces with producer and keyboard player/programmer David Goode, Jason Collins (keyboards) and the excellent Robie Sisters (backing vocals), and their combined talents lift the production standards of Ricky's self-financed debut well into the professional category. Opening with a medley of the traditional "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "Fly Away", followed by the title cut, relaxed reggae grooves soon emerge as the dominant flavour, but it's certainly not the whole story. "Joy In The Lord" is wah-wah driven funk, ragamuffin-style rapping from Gamma Man punctuates gospel/soul ballad "People Need To Know", and Ricky veers off in Barry White direction (smooooth!) on his interpretation of "Blessed Assurance", "The New Jerusalem" and "Lord I Lift You Up", a track which also features bizarre use of a keyboard pitch bend control. A few tracks seem to run a bit on the long side ("I Thank You" clocks more than seven minutes) so don't always totally hold your attention, but in most respects, Ricky and his associates have made a decent go of it.
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