Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Von Newcomb hails from Ft Collins, Colorado but his journey through life has taken him to many different countries over the years. Now living and working in Wales, this album takes the listener on a musical and lyrical trip through the experiences of his life. There is a great musical variety from the folk pop of "The Ham-Sandwich Song" which can't help but make you smile, to the laid back and jazzy "This Song Is A Duet". The instrumentation on the album shows a willingness to experiment bringing in a wide range of different sounds to create some interesting soundscapes. This is particularly evident on the instrumental "The King Comes On The White Stallion" showing off his skills with a track that definitely sounds like it should be over a dramatic film scene. The real strength and occasional weakness of this album is it's variety. Much like a packet of revels you never know what you're going to get; sometimes you'll love it, sometimes it will be 'interesting' and occasionally you'll hate it. But no one can doubt that Von is a multi-faceted talent.

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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