I always look forward to new releases to review from SimG Productions. They've produced some of my favourite recordings from last year (who can forget Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory?), and their first release this year promises to be another popular addition to their catalogue - Looking Up by star of Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, Simon Bailey.

Bailey was also part of the vocal group Teatro, who released a stage-inspired album a couple of years ago, and I was expecting much the same back catalogue from this release too. How wrong I was. This is a very 'acoustic' album - much use of guitars on many of the tracks, and a very frank production style. It gives the album enormous realism - and certainly gives the listener a very intimate listening experience. I didn't like all of the album, although none of the tracks were bad in any way, and I knew very few of the tracks. The ones I did know, 'Dance With My Father' and 'Tears in Heaven' for example, I didn't feel improved on the originals, but were good 'covers', if in a very individual way.

Where this album excels is in the lesser known tracks. By far my favourite on the album is the Jason Robert Brown track 'I Give It all For You', where Bailey is joined by fellow Phantom star Katie Hall. The opening track on the album, a self penned number 'Sing For The Angels' is the ideal opener, and shows Bailey's talent as a songwriter as well as performer. There are four such numbers on the album, each individual and worthy of their place.

A good release, and in some ways a brave departure for SimG. Hopefully this will inspire and enable further such releases in future.

7

Ian Gude