Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In the early '70s British Christian groups and artists leapt on the contemporary folk boom as a style of music which was ideal to convey a message. Musically, it wasn't too noisy or off-putting for the religious traditionalists of the church and somehow it sounded like now. I can still remember coffee bar gigs in the late '70s where folkies would ply their trade and always include a version of "Streets Of London". Sure enough in 1973 on this UK Myrrh label release, The Alethians do the same. They also include a cover of Parchment's current big hit "Light Up The Fire". Alongside such obvious material, there's also some of the band's original repertoire. Guitars are gently plucked, vocals mix male and female leads and blend into nice harmonies but the overall feel of this album is that it sounds a bit ordinary and lacks the edge of other artists of the era. It's all pleasant enough and is interesting as being the group that major '70s Christian artist Dave Pope cut his teeth.

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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