Reviewed by James Lewis

Now, this is what I call praise and worship - forget your home-counties honky milk-and-water choruses by the Guildford flower-arranging group - this stuff is real! A funky blend of blues and gospel with a New Orleans tinge, and brewed up with a production that you might expect from the king of swampy-ness himself, Daniel Lanois. But no, the desk duties were handled by Robert Vaughn, who seems to be the peg on which this whole project hangs. A quick peek at the credits reveals him to be the writer of the songs, the producer and band guitarist. The songs are all original except "Amazing Grace" and a re-rendering of "Sacred Head Now Wounded". The band name appears to merely be a project title - a number of different vocalists handle lead duties with backing vocals of anything from a quartet to a full choir. Vibro guitars shimmer, gospel vocalists wail righteously and atmospherics brood, making this album very distinctive, owing more to Neville Brothers and vintage Staple Singers than LCGC or the Winans. Lyrics are very much in traditional gospel vein, having that earthy blend of pain and hope that makes traditional spirituals like "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" outlast any happy-clappy claptrap. The one exception to this gospel vein is "MLK (A Tribute)" - no prizes for guessing it's subject! Faves include the first track, "Medicine Show", with New Orleans-style brass straight outta the French Quarter and an urgent rhythm, and "Crown Of Thorns", with it's stormy ambience reflecting Christ's suffering on the Cross. Try getting "Let Love Be Your Rocket" out of your head after hearing it - it's there for the duration! Oh, by the way, did I tell you I like this album. . .

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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