Gary Go

This is an album that I have been playing a lot in the last 6 months and must rate as one of my favourites of 2009. It’s a collection of really melodic songs with great hooks that will reverberate in your brain for weeks to come. The production is big, the musical accompaniment of strings, piano and brass is stunning and the voice is warm and effortless.

The first album by 24-year-old Londoner, Gary Baker (alias Gary Go) personifies everything good about British pop music. Unfortunately though, the album didn’t receive huge recognition in the U.K, the highest position being 22 in the album charts, and the artist continues to be under-rated.

The problem is Gary Go is probably too clean-cut (Clark Kent look alike!) and too much of a Mr Nice Guy for much of the British public. He falls outside the spiritual New Age set and his age precludes him from adulation by female teenies or the over-40s Take That brigade.

This is all a bit of a shame as in these days of ego driven pop stars it is refreshing to have someone as honest and humble as Gary Go. The words are obviously so really important to him and the way he puts them across is so sincere.

The songs have all been crafted together meticulously and are of a high standard. There are shades of Jamie Cullum (Honest) and Gary Barlow (Life Gets In The Way). There may also be a slight feel of a 2000+ version of Elvis Costello here but if there is it comes with a much harder edge to it.

Favourite track on the album is undoubtedly Wonderful which is an absolutely wonderful anthem for today. Again the words are inspiring and uplifting and I love the ending verse, “cause we are all miracles, wrapped up in chemicals, we are incredible, don’t take it for granted, no, we are all miracles.” Again, this deserved to do better than peaking at 25 in the singles download charts. Other tracks on the album which I love are Open Arms, Engines and the heavier Refuse To Lose.

Reading the reviews on Amazon one of the words that crops up more than once is epic and this sums up Gary Go’s debut album well. This guy has potential so let’s group together and make him big in 2010!