Reviewed by Ian Hayter

Russ Rosen has been around the Canadian music scene for 15 years, working with a collective of musicianaries in and around British Columbia, as well as stints in Rwanda and Guadeloupe. The band is basically Russ (acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica), his wife Sandy (keyboards, vocals), and a wonderful fiddle player called Kathleen Nisbet. Reviews of their work usually begin with suggestions as to the influences which went into their eclectic mix and for those of us over this side of the Atlantic, the best way to describe their music is to imagine Runrig with the power turned full up, mixed with The Chieftains and a good dose of the Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful album and I was amazed to discover that the band have no distribution in the UK as yet. On this stunning set (almost an hour, so you get your money’s worth), the three core musicians are joined by as good a group of session players as you’ll find, including the tremendous Chad Bjorgan on drums. Key to the whole project, though, must be the ubiquitous Alan Shacklock as producer and guitarist. Alan has worked with the biggest and the best, including producing The Alarm’s magnificent “Sixty Eight Guns”, and Rosen’s “Warriors” – an uncompromising call to prophetic action – has strong musical echoes of that song. Russ Rosen’s lyrics (he wrote all the songs on the album with the exception of “Stand” by Sandy Rosen), as well as his gritty, rasping vocals, communicate a real passion for God and for proclaiming the Gospel. From the booming, echoing drums which open the first track, “Watchmen”, through to the quiet, reflective worship of the final “Radiant Beauty”, this is a remarkable album. Most of it is driving Celtic-based rock, but there is a superb bluesy number sung by Kathleen Nisbet (whose voice should be used less sparingly on any future album) and a growling take on Ezekiel 37 entitled “Somethin’s Rattlin’” to add a bit of variety. Although there’s clearly a worship dimension to all the songs, maybe only a couple (“Through The Curtain” and “Radiant Beauty”) would transfer to a congregational setting. Having listened to this CD almost continually since it landed on the doormat, I can only hope that Russ and friends soon find a distributor over here and let us have some more. (For those who are so inclined, there’s also a French language version, ‘Huile de Paix’.)

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