Alan Barrington is an acclaimed and award-winning artist on the verge of releasing a brand new album, called The Songwriter's Faith. The album features mostly original compositions and displays Barrington's songwriting prowess along with his love for the Lord. The songs of The Songwriter's Faith blend country gospel, contemporary, and acoustic, with simple compositions that would make easy transitions into a Sunday morning service. There's even a little bit of classic rock & roll, particularly in "Ayatollah You So." As a whole, this song constantly reminds me of Steve Taylor's "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good," both stylistically and in its satirical approach. It's an interesting inclusion, though I'd have to say that I don't think any aspect of it quite fits with the rest of the tracklist. You can pick up a lot of Keith Green influence, such as in "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus," "As For Me and My House," and "The Old Rugged Cross." Then there's the opening track, "You've Always Been There," which blends Rich Mullins and [bluegrass] Steven Curtis Chapman, and the lively "Joyful Noise," which is a Paul Wright/Jason Mraz-esque reggae tune. Though there's definitely a very familiar core sound, Barrington is no stranger to experimentation to give it some color. The Songwriter's Faith has some good songs for personal reflection and/or corporate worship. If you like any of the aforementioned artists, you might find something to enjoy here.

- Review date: 6/3/20, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com