Reviewed by Stuart Blackburn

The artwork is '80s, the sound is '90s, and the programming resembles a Bontempi keyboard. But Shahde Carrasco, from Australia, has done it. With the significant help of her family and doubtless on a shoestring, she has produced the eponymous independent debut album. This is a little better than a demo and just about worthy of public sale, though the blooper track at the end is itself a mistake. All the tracks are written either by Shahde, Claudio (her Dad?) and guitarist James Hollands, and are neither outstanding nor terrible. "Scared" is probably the strongest musically with its hooky chorus. The songs generally relate to the struggles of youth covering the themes of insecurity, erratic emotions, staying out late, bad boys and dating, all from a Christian perspective. In spite of the CD's numerous distractions, Shahde's voice should not be overlooked. In tight harmony and with a little imagination she is reminiscent of any number of American girl vocal groups. With this in mind, I hope Shahde will persevere.

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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