"Touching Rock"

  The second album to appear on Ian White's adventurous 'lm2' label, "Touching Rock" is in a very different style from Andrew Jenkins Lamb's "World's Collide" debut. Being raised in Scottish Border-country, then in the Highlands near Loch Ness, it is not surprising that Grant Macaskill's music is soaked in lyrical and musical imagery of his homeland. The ten
self-composed melodies here relayed are in the genuine Celtic-folk tradition, without slightest need of the symbolic bodhran, tin whistle or bagpipes to give added effect! Save the occasional contemporary exception, these are tender, semi-acoustic stories-in-song evoking poignant moods and portraying rich atmospheric landscapes. Highly original lyrics deal with issues such as profound loneliness and awe ('North Wind', 'Solitude'), tragedy (the Omagh bombing in NI), love-relationships ('The Pledge', 'The Healing'), and security in Christ. This latter theme is most sensitively expressed in 'Every need you have' and in the moving title track 'Touching Rock', and is clearly the foundation of this young musician's life. Musical comparisons could me made to the Scottish folk of Dougie Maclean, the 'celtic' ballads of Ric Blair and perhaps even to the music of Rich Mullins). With effective backing vocals and instrumentation from those involved with AJL and IW's worship projects (Ross Hamilton, Helen Burgess, Daniel Duggan, Phil Lidstone) and production from same Mr. Lidstone, this is a volume of rich poetry in a quality musical setting. Though not essentially 'praise and worship', "Touching Rock" is nonetheless a spiritually-enriching listening experience, sure to gently stir, yet also deeply bless.
I recommend it.

Review by tom lennie