“This aptly-named album is noteworthy for its gorgeous sound, blending John Phillips' talents as a musician of sensitivity with the recording skill of producer Aaron Wolinski . There are soulful canyons of sound on "Simple Beauty" that echo back feelings which seem deeply personal. Phillips performs on guitar, fiddle, piano and vocals, writing all but one of the seven songs on the album (the rocker "99 Monkeys" by Benny Bowmaster). An acoustic mix of contributors uplifts the songs, including the evocative wooden flute of Jamie Rife, the bass cauldron of Caul Bluhm, mandolin of Don Julin, drums of Pat West, Luke Parcell and Marc alderman, digeridoo of Nathaniel Rose, and background vocals by Blake Elliot and E. Minor among others. Although he doesn't rise to their vocal capabilities ( and who could?) there's a touch of Tim and Jeff Buckley in Phillips's music. Like the Buckleys, he offers songs of emotional intensity and a poet's touch, with the best of the bunch being "I Am"”