A fundraiser for a church-run school in Sudan, produced in Sweden,
and featuring a range of artists from six countries--this is probably the
most "international" project I've reviewed so far. The artists featured
represent among them Sweden, the USA, England, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands,
and New Zealand. All of them have given these tracks free of charge to
support the cause the CD was produced for.
Musically, quite a range is spanned, but mostly on the lighter-rock
end of things, from the bluesy-sounds of New Zealand's Steve Apirana to
the blues rock of Fresh Claim (England) the reggae of Ben Okafor (England
via Nigeria) to the dance-influenced pop of Booley House (Northern
Ireland). The quality varies somewhat. Ben Okafor, Fresh Claim, Halcyon
Days, and Booley House probably offer the strongest contributions, and
a couple of more lively tracks might have brightened things somewhat, but
there is some good material here.
The lyrical themes mostly revolve around social justice: the need
for the church to wake up to God's concern for His creation. Ben Okafor's
laid back reggae vocals call for this most clearly on "Generation," while
Fresh Claim touch on the more personal side and their contribution seems
to suggest that perhaps God's care for us should be our motivation to care
for others. These and several other artists deserve any publicity this
compilation brings them after years of hard work and quality releases.
This is an interesting and diverse collection with a couple of weaknesses.
It would be good to raise the tone slightly. But anyone interested in artists
from further afield would do well to support this album, and in the process
support the school children of the Sudan.
By James Stewart (1/5/99)
