After wowing thousands in Singapore at the Esplanade with his stunning live performances as Galileo Figaro in the musical We Will Rock You which just ended after a month-long run, Rock Star: INXS finalist, Miguel Ayesa, or Mig , has put together his first self-titled studio album for all fans who can’t get enough of him.

Mig Ayesa: Multi-talented Maestro

Tall, dark and handsome, this dashing young man played one of the antagonist vampires in the film adaptation of Anne Rice ’s Queen Of The Damned.

Realising that he wasn’t interested in becoming a piano virtuoso, Mig Ayesa jumped at the opportunity to play the lead role of Ritchie Valens in The Buddy Holly Story at age 20, halting his studies at Macquarie University to advance his career as a performer.

Spurred on by the acting bug, he also starred in various films, commercials and television series, one of the highlights of his showbiz career being his emergence as one of the 3 finalists in Rock Star: INXS.

Live in the Studio

With such an extensive and impressive musical portfolio behind him, UrbanWire couldn’t help but have high expectations of his album, MiG.

A third of the dozen tracks are original songs, but the album starts off with the cover of Peter Frampton ’s “Baby, I Love Your Way ”. It’s a good choice because this is a romantic number that’s guaranteed to get all the girls in the house swooning. The line “I can see the sunset in your eyes” brings to mind the feeling of gazing into and getting lost in a lover’s eyes while forgetting about the rest of the world around you.

The 3rd track, “Kiss From A Rose ” didn’t possess the mellow, soulful vibe that original singer Seal had in the soundtrack of the blockbuster movie Batman Forever , but Mig was able to infuse a distinct ebullient sound of his own that set the track apart from its original version.

As protagonist Galileo in Queen tribute musical We Will Rock You, in the original West End and touring versions in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, it should come as no surprise that his cover of Queen ’s “Who Wants To Live Forever ” was well-executed and clearly displayed his impeccable vocal abilities and sheer talent in delivering compelling performances.

What did surprise UrbanWire very pleasantly, however, was Ayesa’s take on Sting ’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger ”. With a sensual and light-hearted instrumentation, it’s a piece that makes you want to get up, grab someone and just sway to the music. This uplifting number stands out from the rest, and has a very different jaunty and free-spirited sound that works well for him.

However, MiG also contains several tracks that didn’t quite hit the mark for an album recorded by an excellent live singer.

“Could It Be ” was an unimpressive piece that didn’t showcase his otherwise impressive vocal abilities. Although the catchy tune and instrumentation makes it a very radio-friendly number, the restriction imposed on his voice makes the song sound ordinary and forgettable in comparison to the rest of his original songs.

The album ends off with the track “Angie ”, a cover of The Rolling Stones ’ unforgettable single. Ayesa delivers a sorrowful, heart-wrenching interpretation that brings tears to the eyes of anyone who has loved and lost.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

All in all, Ayesa’s debut album, coming at a ripe old age of 38 and following many musical and band outings, clearly showed off his versatility in various genres of music, but fell short of being spectacular compared to the likes of Michael Ball and Sarah Brightman, who are also famed West End singers. A mild disappointment, but still worth the album cost!

UrbanWire gives MiG 3 out of 5 stars.

MiG is available in all record stores.