Respected music critic Graham Reid says he’s “in the lineage of great Kiwi songwriters which includes Neil Finn, Dave Dobbyn and Greg Johnson”.

Now New Zealand fans get the chance to hear exactly what makes the music critic sing such high praise of singer-songwriter and guitarist Donald Reid.

Reid the artist’s first album, 'In A Taxi Home', hits record stores on April 3. It features songs gleaned from a repertoire of more than 200 original compositions.

Graham Reid the critic – no relation by the way – calls it a diverse album, “grounded in openhearted pop and rock ballads”.

“New Zealand doesn't have a great tradition of chest-swelling power pop, but in places on his debut album … Donald Reid has staked his claim on the frontline.

“Reid has a way with a melody that is as natural and unforced as Neil Finn, and his songs have that great virtue: big, identifiable and memorable choruses. You need only hear the title track of this impressive album once and you'll remember it forever.”

Donald Reid says the 12 tracks on 'In A Taxi Home' were selected for their purity of form, revealing, thoughtful and emotionally charged lyrics. The album explores the themes of love, loss and companionship. He admits: “Every song is about love if you want it to be”.

The album has produced two singles – 'Forget Myself', released last year to acclaim and 'All the Advice', which went to commercial radio in January 2006.

Graham Reid says In A Taxi Home is a diverse album. “There are brittle guitars and a sometimes bitter edge (the fiery 'All the Advice'); elsewhere he sounds like the missing link between David Gray and Thin Lizzy ('Loser'); and, at other times, the musical backdrop turns into quietly psychedelic Beatlesque rock ('How The Heart Works', 'Saints and Fools').

“And towards the end he delivers a nice line as aching balladeer in a brace of understated songs closing with the astutely arranged 'Suicidal Friend'. On this crisply produced debut, he announces himself as a fully formed talent.”

'In A Taxi Home' brings together an ensemble of well-known musical talent including Bones Hillman (Midnight Oil) on bass, Mike Franklin-Browne (Pluto) on drums, Bryan Bell (Dead Flowers) on piano, Georgina Cooper (APO) on cello and brother James (the feelers) on second guitar and some of the backing vocals.

The tracks were mixed by Chris van de Geer (Stellar*) and Luke Tomes and mastered by Neil Baldock. The album was co-produced with Donald Reid’s brother James (the feelers) and recorded independently - at home and at York Street Studios - in Auckland, New Zealand.

It is released on Shock records through EMI New Zealand.