Former vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Dundee band The Rise, with his first solo offerings and the results are seriously fine. The CD starts with “It's Easy” as this chiming sea of acoustic and electric guitars spreads its wings while his light, airy, warm and soaring vocals flows through the song with an anthemic quality to which you're immediately drawn, the song cascading effortlessly as the guitars shimmer, gentle percussive backdrop shakes and the whole thing fills the airways with emotion, optimism and hope, a simply glorious sounding song that you'll just play and play and play, both commercial and serious listening at the same time, and for a sliice of electro-acoustic guitars-driven folk, really rather amazing. If that wasn't a good enough place to begin, then “Lady” is every bit as good. This time a neatly jaunty rhythm sets things goinjg as gentle bass takes the undercurrent above which flowing, sparse guitar lines, subtly used harmonica and a wholly lazily strident arrangement all leaves the strong, emotionally wrought but incredibly emotive vocal to take off and fly throughout the song, another sensitive yet strong rendition of a song that also endears itself to your head and heart with a warmth and spirit oozing from its well-written lyrical qualities. Superb! “Standing On” marches along with what sounds like a combination of guitars and mandolin as another almost echoey vocal just soars above the flowing current of guitars and deep emotive bass, the song itself, if anything, more reflective than before, but still that almost taut and high-flying vocal just stunning above the ringing, flowing, cascading arrangement of guitars, the song rising and falling and sounding just so easily glorious, and as with the rest of the CD, almost like a folkier rerun of Vini Reilly's Durutti Column but pared down to its warm hearted basics. Finally there's “Going Straight” where delicate acoustic guitar gives way to shimmering electric guitar as the early morning vocal comes in and relates its lesson of learning in a gorgeous mix of emotive lead voice and soaring harmonies, full of remorse and yet also full of hope once again. It's easy going, but somehow it's got heart, substance, purpose and direction – for what is essentially solo electro-acoustic folk, it's got a presence that most would die to achieve. All four songs leave you wanting to play them over and over, perfect for late nights round the fireside or good-time singalong with friends or simply addictive listening when you just want to be alone with your mystery friend, here beside you on this remarkable CD.
