This is one of the most unusual albums I’ve heard in some time. There’s a distinct feeling of being lost in space as the ethereal, echoing sounds in almost every introduction make you feel like you’re floating in infinite space as distant galaxies send out faint greeting signals.
Each song begins gently and some never progress, while others take on a more down-to-earth approach with what sounds like a drum machine breaking the spell. ‘So Good’, ‘Let the Rain Come’, ‘My Soul is Well’ and ‘You Died for Me’ are better than most, but many of the lyrics and melodies are predictable and well-worn.
There are also some very odd touches. In ‘Gracious’, one hears what sounds like a couple of toy horses clip-clopping past in the background!
I don’t know enough about Newday to know what the band normally sounds like, but the songs lack passion and single-mindedness, as if everyone involved had an idea and they all got their way. JP
