Outside Looking In, Old Road Records **

It’s not every day that you hear a Navan man claiming to be “big in Egypt”, but after a recent successful tour of the land of the pharaohs, Simon Fagan is at liberty to do so. Fagan’s debut album doesn’t possess the same enigmatic quality of the Sphinx. Trundling through a blend of inoffensive pop-rock, Fagan fails to utilise his biggest asset (a semi-soulful quiver akin to Paddy Casey or Paolo Nutini) to its maximum potential. The end product is a collection of feeble acoustic-led pop tunes that scream daytime radio but lack imagination.

It's the gospel-tinged Water's Edgeand the sophisticated, downbeat shimmer of Love Don't Workthat impress most, while the extended orchestral outro, courtesy of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, hints at an album that could have been. See simonfagan.net

Download tracks: Love Don't Work, Water's Edge