GAVIN RYAN

With a voice not unlike that of Jack L, Gavin Ryan is nothing if not versatile. Here he glides effortlessly from the lush melodic pop of opening track ‘Loser’ (which recalls Richard Hawley’s early output) through the bluesy ‘My Baby Don’t Care For Me’ to the folk-oriented ‘I’ll Be Home’. Elsewhere on this Gavin Glass-engineered and mixed album, he showcases a diverse approach. ‘Fast Girl’ is a plucky, upbeat tune with a melody recalling the early ‘60s hit ‘Hey Baby’. ‘Rehabilitated Loon’ is unsettling as is the waltz-like, ‘I Don’t Want To Die’. Other highlights include Spanish-flavoured ‘Spend Some Time With Me’ and the country-ish ‘Living For Today’. The plaintive title track is more classic early pop in the mode of Ricky Nelson’s ‘Lonesome Town’ or the Everly Brothers’ ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’. Enjoyable.