WHAT LIES BENEATH

Mike Kershaw has steadily built a catalogue of impressive releases over the last few years, and in 2016 this has culminated in his best work yet - 'What Lies Beneath'.

The album opens with the epic 'Gunning for the Gods', a nine-minute plus track that demonstrates Mike's maturity as a songwriter, as he effortlessly weaves together several different moods and tempos. What's also apparent is the terrific production of the album, with each instrument given its own space in the mix, and the result is a very cohesive sound that is a joy to hear.

In my opinion, the album peaks in the middle with several exceptional tracks. 'The City Revealed' is a melancholic and beautifully restrained number that oozes atmosphere; 'Two Eyes' follows, an upbeat mesh of slide guitar and keyboards that features a killer vocal hook; and 'Wounds', another change of pace that showcases the vocal talents of Tom Slatter, and which includes some of the most evocative lyrics on the album.

The final track, 'The City of My Dreams', is another belter. One of the longer pieces on the album, it moves through several phases, including a terrific tempo shift half-way through and eventually transitions to a more pensive finale, a perfect way to end the album.

Highly recommended.