Fans of
Jim Brickman usually love him for what he does best, simple, lush, romantic solo piano music. Recent recordings like Visions of Love and
Gift have attempted to add layers to that base by adding orchestration or soaring vocals to the mix, but such things can muddle the purity of the music.
Simple Things marks the return to
Brickman's foundation -- beautiful, gentle songs with only minimum accompaniment, featuring ten instrumentals followed by three ballads, including the adult contemporary-styled title track (sung by
Rebecca Lynn Howard). With the exception of that track, which earns its way onto the album, the other vocal tracks seem a bit tacked on, but the first portion of the album is first-rate solo piano music, and
Simple Things will likely reinforce
Brickman's solid place in the hearts of fans of new age music. ~ Stacia Proefrock