Jeremy Williams-Chalmers, Arts Correspondent

Ray Quinn - Undeniable

Ray Quinn has had a very varied career. An award winning child actor who made a comeback via an appearance on The X Factor, he has balanced musical theatre with reality television appearances in the thirteen years since his #1 charting Swing-driven debut album. Although there have been fleeting returns to the music world, with successful solo tours and the odd pop-driven single, Undeniable marks the long-awaited arrival of his sophomore album.



While his most recent dabblings have been within the realms of pop, he has sensibly returned to the Big Band sound that made him a musical talking point in the first place. There has never been any question about his vocal dexterity, yet despite the quality of his poppier releases, his voice is more at home within this realm.

Undeniable is essentially a covers album, with reworkings of some of his favourite songs into his own style. However, it does feature two new songs - They Say Love and Smile. Had this direction been pushed further, Undeniable would have been a very different record. These are very strong songs that should dominate radio waves.

That is not to say that the covers are not strong. The playful rendition of Duffy's Mercy breathes new life into an often overlooked classic, while his rendition of the often recorded When I Need You is one of the finest to have ever been released. Yet it is the unexpected inclusion of From Russia With Love that really stands out.

Undeniable is a very strong return from Ray Quinn. While a few more originals may have helped him really break into a new market, there is no denying that the covers have universal appeal.