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Eric Lewis rates his music reviews on a scale of one to five, with (*) equivalent to a poor rating, (**) fair, (***) good, (****) very good and (*****) excellent.

Lots of music I unfortunately didn't get to review in 2007. Here's a little bit of catch-up.

Brockway Biggs

In Awe of Simplicity

(Independent)

(***)

It's hard for some to take Brockway Biggs (aka Troy Neilson, formerly known as Pimp-T) seriously. He does look a little out of place in the hip hop world, but if you've ever talked to Neilson, you'll know he's quite serious about his hip hop. The Fredericton native is based in Ontario now where he promotes hip hop from across the country.

Musically, the East Coast Music Award winner takes a variety of beats from the likes of Loc Dog, Sean One, Classified and Hotbox and raps lyrics about everything from living a positive life to his love for Canada Dry ginger-ale (seriously). It's silly at times, but always fun and he works with some top-notch talent.

"Shake Ya Caboose" is a club dance tune and "Canada Dry" (featuring the vocal talents of Nicole Rushton) is actually a really catchy tune, sillyness aside. "Pinch Hitter" is another highlight.

This is a solid album of fun hip hop that is worth checking out.

Sebastian Bach

Angel Down

(Caroline / EMI)

*** 1/2)

The former Skid Row frontman returns with a vengeance on this solo release, his third solo effort and first proper solo album featuring mostly new material (Bring 'Em Bach Alive featured live material while Bach 2 Basics featured mostly cover songs).

It's nice to hear Bach rocking away again. His ever-powerful voice is in fine form and the material is solid as well. Songs like "Our Love Is A Lie", "American Metalhead", "Love Is A *****slap" and a cover of Aerosmith's "Back In The Saddle" rock, while "By Your Side" and "Falling Into You" are solid ballads.

Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose joins Bach on three tracks, providing his familiar wail to the proceedings. He still sounds pretty good, even if his contributions here aren't really necessary.

Soundwise, this isn't just some '80s leftover trying to reclaim his glory years.

While there is an '80s rock feel to a few tracks -- "You Don't Understand" and "By Your Side" in particular -- this is very much a metal album for today. I think most rock fans will be surprised at how well Bach has aged.

Jessie Farrell

Nothing Fancy

(604 Records / Universal)

(***)

With her flirtatious smile, sassy lyrics and energetic pop country sound, Farrell was a good opener for the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill-led Country Rocks The Hill show a few months back.

This album, released after the big country show, captures that energy. This is Farrell's sophomore release, though it's her first for a major label.

Nothing Fancy is an appropriate title, and that's not to say the music is lacking anything. It's just a simple, fun record of fun tunes.

Opening with the single "Let's Talk About Love", it sets the tone for the album and it's followed by the fun, poppy "I Guess", a tune I remember being one of the highlights of her September set. "Fell Right Into You" is a sweet ballad. The album's closing ballad "Coming Home (Jono's Song)" is a tribute to the singer's late brother.

Farrell is a great singer with a fun, sassy delivery. This won't blow you away, but if you're looking for something fun and enjoyable -- nothing fancy -- this is a solid listen.

Champion et ses G-Strings

Live

(Two Hoboes / Maplemusic)

(**)

DJ Champion, aka Maxime Morin, is a popular Montreal-based electronic-techno artist. What we have here is a live CD and DVD of Champion and his band performing many of his tunes live, tackling Champion's hypnotic beats and noises and turning them into a more organic mess of sound. While it's fun in short bursts on disc, the long-winded, repetitive jams here simply don't translate into anything more than background noise.

I'm thinking that this show would have been a blast if you were live at the Metropolis when this was recorded, especially if you're into dancing. But without that live band in front of you grinding out the tunes, or the energy in the crowd, this falls flat.

n Eric Lewis is a reporter for Life & Times. His reviews appear every Wednesday in Life & Times.