Reviewed by Tom Lennie

Well-established Orkney singer/songwriter Michael has developed what is effectively his own eclectic style of music, a sound that Mike Rimmer once described as "inspirational Scottish pop with rootsy, country and Celtic tinges thrown in for free!" 'Beautiful' is the sixth full length recording from the popular Orcadian, a dozen brand new songs written and performed with various family and friends whose faithful contributions have proved successful on previous output, such as wife Christine, drummer/guitarist Kenny Harcus, keyboardist Mairi Paton and the multi-talented Phil Anderson. Country pop-rock is the favoured format for most of the upbeat songs to be found here, which includes the worshipful title-cut and the gutsy, percussion-driven "Two Ways". Other tracks are more reflective, not least the delicate piano-based "Your Word, Love And Grace", composed and gently rendered by Christine. Other standouts include a tender banjo-led prayer for God's blessing on newly-weds, the infectiously rhythmic "Come Alone" (a call for an uncompromised life of faith and holiness), and the intriguing Passion-focused, "The Crucified King". While the penultimate "Hold Me Close" carries an appealing folky edge, graced by dancing fiddle, the closing, heaven-themed "Party" is deliberately country-styled, though it climaxes with a deft two-minute fiddle-solo from veteran Orcadian musician Andy Cant, evoking the image of the hereafter as a mammoth vibrant Scottish ceilidh! Great stuff.

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