Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The title says it all, these are very basic demos with Hayley's voice, guitar and some violin from The Electrics' violinist Tim Dotterel. The songs therefore have a rootsy acoustic feel to them which both makes them intimate but also shows up very strongly the weaknesses. Hayley's vocals aren't always up to scratch with some of her singing not making it. Again, the demo feel of the songs with such a bare backing means that after a few songs the CD starts to feel very samey. On top of that, the songwriting also has an A level poetry feel about it in places, and "Out Walking" is one example of this weakness. So you will conclude that this is a snapshot of Hayley Angel's development and it doesn't do her any great favours. Perhaps this is a demo that should have stayed in circulation amongst family and friends or used to gain Hayley live performances while she saves the money to record properly rather than launching herself too soon.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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