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The last few years have been tough for Magenta frontwoman Christina Booth.
Recording a solo album while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer surely meant the whole project took on even greater significance. She has evidently drawn on her recent experiences in the lyrics here, while the sometimes painful but defiant emotions evoked by Rob Reed’s musical accompaniments further heighten the songs’ power. They will resonate with anyone who has ever lost anyone or been confronted with the fragility of their own existence. In truth, this isn’t a particularly progressive sounding record – in fact the sweeping, piano-led dramatics of songs such as When The Darkness Falls have the feel of gothically tinged show tunes. But whatever genre you ascribe to The Light, you can’t deny the impact of Christina’s vocals (the despairing, vulnerable Disappeared), or her unflinching observations (Anger In Your Words, Last Breath). That said, this is no dark night of the soul. The final title track is full of redemptive chants and offers a real note of hope, one which will surely seem all the more apposite as the woman herself overcomes her own personal challenges.
