Park Bench Theories

If you have a son, call him James and he will, no doubt, become a singer-songwriter to join the fast-growing ranks of musicians by that name — Jamie Cullum, James Blunt, James Morrison and now, Jamie Scott (& The Town).

Seriously, the name has some sort of singing mojo and it evidently settles on slightly love-st(r)uck young gentlemen. Not that we're complaining, exactly. It's all fairly innocuous, but it's also all fairly the same.

On the upside, this Jamie — whose full name is James Scott Baylin — doesn't whine. That being said, his silky smooth voice, which has only the slightest hints of deeply buried grittiness, does little to convey his tortured state of being. You have to listen to the lyrics quite carefully before you realise that this is, in fact, a man in despair.

This treatise on suffering to which we are referring is the suitably retro-looking album 'Park Bench Theories' by Jamie Scott & The Town, which has already spawned the single 'When Will I See Your Face Again'.

Easy listening throughout, Jamie Scott has yet to develop his own distinctive sound. Channeling Paul Simon through much of the album (especially in 'London Town') with hints here and there of Marvin Gaye, D'Angelo and Cat Stevens, this Jamie has an at-times-folksy, at-times-jazzy sound. And while there is no question that his musical arrangements are pleasing, his vocal ability prestigious and his lyrics occasionally insightful and creative, this album does little to make you sit up and listen.

And what of The Town? Essentially the band is made up of Douglas Payne and Neil Primrose from Travis, Martin Terefe and an assortment of guest artists. The experience of these musicians gives the album built-in credibility and the inclusion of 'The Town' in the title differentiates (even if only superficially) Jamie Scott from the rest of the Jamies.

Standout tracks include 'Runaway Train', 'London Town', 'Weeping Willow', 'Two Men' and 'Lady West'. That being said, the rest are all pretty pleasant too. It's not likely to blow you away, but hey, neither are park bench theories.