With a gentle middle of
the road sound, Mike Jenkins's first release in eight years features songs
written in six different countries over the years since he last entered
the studio.
Jenkins's warm mid-range
vocals form the basis of this recording, accompanied by a low key mix of
synthesised-sounding instruments. There is a quiet energy to tracks like
"Song of Songs" which seems to take its inspiration from the biblical book
of the same name, but sometimes the sound is a little dated and a full
live band would be preferable to keep the energy up throughout. Jenkins's
lyrics are fairly poetic in their phrasing and are stronger than their
musical backing, but aren't really given the opportunity to shine.
A fairly pleasant recording,
but lacking in a certain vitality. Storyteller manages to tell some
stories, but doesn't quite imbue them with the strong images they could
do with.
James Stewart 12/9/2000
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James Stewart is a writer,
web-designer and student based near London, UK. He co-ordinates the Greenbelt
Festival's website and runs the Britlinks
website, dedicated to Christian involvement in British and Irish music.
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