Gabriel Yacoub has a deep lush voice, lightly accented when he sings in English, although most of the songs on The Simple Things We Said (Les Choses Les Plus Simples) are in French. The arrangements are simple but the results are anything but simplistic; this is a polished and professional performance.

Yacoub brings a sense of elegance to all the songs as well as emotional resonance that extends beyond any language barrier. The partial translations in the liner notes are not particularly helpful, but the music is appealing. Yacoub accompanies himself on guitar and is backed by able musicians on a variety of instruments, mostly stringed, and they provide just the right enhancement.

Notable tracks include "Jour de Lessive," "Le Garcon Jardinier," "Beaute/12th Song of Thunder" and a suitably chilling cover of Richard Shindell's "You Stay Here."

If you like solo singers and aren't particular about the language in which the songs are sung, then Gabriel Yacoub's The Simple Things We Said is simply perfect.