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    The Phantom Tollbooth December 2000/Mike Jenkins

    Mike Jenkins

    Storyteller

    (2000)

    Reviewed by James Stewart

    Label independentThe Phantom TollboothDecember 2000
    adult contemporarysoft rock

    With a gentle middle of the road sound, Mike Jenkins's first release in eight years features songs written in six different countries over the years since he last entered the studio.

    Jenkins's warm mid-range vocals form the basis of this recording, accompanied by a low key mix of synthesised-sounding instruments. There is a quiet energy to tracks like "Song of Songs" which seems to take its inspiration from the biblical book of the same name, but sometimes the sound is a little dated and a full live band would be preferable to keep the energy up throughout. Jenkins's lyrics are fairly poetic in their phrasing and are stronger than their musical backing, but aren't really given the opportunity to shine.

    A fairly pleasant recording, but lacking in a certain vitality. Storyteller manages to tell some stories, but doesn't quite imbue them with the strong images they could do with.

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