Reviewed by James Lewis

Every so often an artist comes along where the temptation to compare to another is irresistible. Inevitably such musicians seem to downplay the talent of the artist involved. Iain's songwriting screams for comparison with Brian Kennedy (I'm sorry lain - I've said it). But wait, lain is truly on a level with Brian in terms of his craft. This album is easy listening for those who DON'T wear comfy slippers and cardies - truly relaxing. The songs have beautiful melodies and the lyrics are artful and well-observed, if a little oblique at times, lain plays guitar in a style that most people might have heard in Extreme's number one hit ballad "More Than Words" and combines it with a truly wonderful voice that soars and swoops. This leads me to my only complaint - the production. Surprisingly enough for the marvellous Lies Damned Lies team, they don't seem to have given Iain's voice and guitar quite enough space to speak for themselves. Having heard the songs stripped down to these essentials live, I think they could have done with the barest minimum of accompaniment on record. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable album, recommended for those frazzled by the pace of life in the 90s.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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