David is a songwriter, musician and producer from the West Coast of Scotland. He has released seven solo albums and played on many other projects over three decades. In 2021, his ‘Love Like No Other’ scored a 10/10 from NFN. David says that this new album; “Starts with a Gathering Song, ends with a Sending Song and in between different themes are explored including lament, hearing God, the Bible, perseverance, awakening and the presence of Jesus.” Immediately, I was struck by the brightness of the guitar sound on the opening title track. An engaging verse is soon followed by a chorus, where the singer is joined by his wife, Yvonne, on vocals. Towards the end of the song, there’s some nice keyboard phrases that I really liked! The song is followed by another striking number called ‘Hear Our Cry for Help.’ Again, the chorus stands out with some effective layered vocals. Instruments are well used throughout and, individually, they can all be heard. (None of that mushy sound where different instruments are lost in the overall performance. ‘We Need You Now’ is a slow paced song of prayer, as is ‘Still Small Voice,’ where Yvonne takes the lead vocals over a simple backing. It’s an ideal song for meditation. ‘Heaven’s Riches’ is rather pedestrian in tempo, but it works really well. I, particularly, enjoyed the chorus; ‘Heaven's riches; Worth more than silver and gold; In sacred pages; Eternity's treasure to have and to hold.’ Vocally, both David and Yvonne have endearing qualities, honed over years of recording and performing. On ‘Awaken Us’ the former leads the way on a foot tapping number, while Yvonne’s touching delivery on ‘Comfort in the Tragedy’ is a pure delight. This enchanting, independent, release ends with ‘All The Colours of the Kingdom.’ The first verse is a message to us all, ‘May the God who scattered all the stars in heaven; Give us purpose as we share His blessèd grace; With the radiance that He has freely given; As He scatters us and sends us from this place.’ 10/10.
