Joe Chester - The Easter Vigil album review: He’s gotta have faith

Joe Chester’s solo career has taken a backseat in recent years, but now the Nice-based musician and producer turns his attention to his fifth album, a collection with themes of “rewinding of a man’s faith”.

Some tackle the Dubliner's newfound agnosticism head-on (Not a Christian Anymore); others weave tales of love into the narrative (Spy Wednesday, The Easter Vigil). The best are the little standalone vignettes (Juliette Walking in the Rain, Dark Mornings). The latter is one of the best tracks here, with a full band sound breaking up the sombre, slow-moving piano and guitar-based material that can be overbearing, despite their soft embellishments of violin (and on the title track, gentle blasts of brass).

In small portions, however, Chester's ruminative craft is quite lovely. joechester.com