ORTEGA, FERNANDO - Home

While reviewing 'Home', a universal comment from those who heard me playing it was as short as the title, "Nice". The album has an instantly "familiar" and accessible sound, blending as it does soft rock with folk and a touch of new country. Fernando Ortega has a voice and style not unlike a young Don Maclean, although as yet not the same writing skill. The upbeat opening track "This Good Day" is perhaps his best effort, and should be a must for a Monday morning playlist. "Lonely Road", a love song for his wife while he's away travelling, is something I can appreciate from my own experience, but somehow here the vocals uncharacteristically let him down. For me the standout tracks are those written by Elaine Rubenstein, she captures well the problems of the aged, lonely and overlooked in today's society in couple of well crafted songs, "On The Line" and "Old Girl" (which is rather after the style of Dan Fogelberg). "Prayer For Home" is just that, a prayer from the heart of a Christian parent for his children and home, and is excellent. As is the simple rendition of the Fanny J Crosby hymn " Pass Me Not", and the traditional spiritual, "Give Me Jesus". A well produced album, as you would expect from a big American CCM label, with a sound that is very radio friendly. c: crossrhythms