Where you were when you first heard Susan Boyle sing the iconic song from the musical ‘Les Miserables’ on ‘Britain’s Got Talen’t will be the question your children will ask when you talk about the noughties.  The album acts more as a souvenir to an overnight You Tube international phenomenon than a proper CD from a recording artist.

BY BRIAN SWANN

But when you give the album fair criticism and go beyond the hype, Boyle is mercifully restrained throughout. This is shown in her unexpected but ubiquitous version of ‘Wild Horses’ to her signature number, which recreates the moment that made her a worldwide star. The album’s easy-listening style ranges from dreamy to inspirational. From ‘Daydream Believer’, ‘Who I Was Born to Be’, and ‘Proud’, to a predictable but effortless approach to classic hymns such as ‘How Great Thou Art’, ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Silent Night’.  Long-term plans for Boyle’s career may rest with Simon Cowell, but her ambition to become a professional singer will keep her focus wherever she may end up.