Stop Look Listen

Niall Boyle is a singer-songwriter and vocalist who offers less the captivating intrigue of David Gray and more the cod emotion of Chris de Burgh.

One wants to be sympathetic to anybody with the guts to put their neck on the line, but Boyle brings nothing fresh to the party. Instead, his songs are inoffensive, commercially-driven pastiches of pop-mor styles and they deserve better than a production that often falls short of contemporary requirements.

Sure, Boyle knows how songs hang together, as with 'Destiny', with its tasty piano from Gerry Simpson, and 'Tempted', but an increasingly competitive scene demands more. 'I Wish You Wouldn't Do That' suffers from a dry production and guitar noises that date it, a fate also visited upon 'Stop Look Listen' and 'Emily' by some anaemic strings. Even Richie Buckley's sax and the clapalong choir on 'I Won't Let You Down' come straight from central casting.

Of all the tracks here only 'Can't Cry Hard Enough' brings a sense of convincing emotion and by then it's all over.

This is an opportunity lost, since Boyle has a fine ear for a catchy melody and a snazzy chorus. If he gets a second shot he might explore a more personal 21st century agenda rather than second hand musings from a bygone age.