IN practice, winning the BBC’s talent show The Voice means nothing more than a blessing from a well-meaning relative in the commercial world.

In fact, such an accolade has all but scuppered any chance of long-term credibility. For confirmation, can anyone remember Leanne Mitchell, Andrew Begley or Jermain Jackman?

But the buzz about Fireman McCrorie, on a sabbatical from Kirkcaldy’s Blue Watch, resonated further than devotees to the audition game show. So much so that his debut single, Lost Stars, significantly scored a Scottish number one and scraped a UK Top Ten listing, though the Kodaline cover is surprisingly, but understandably, absent from this album of McCrorie originals, of which My Hear Never Lies stands out.

McCrorie's brogue, a subtle blend of Falkirk and the Kingdom of Fife, has an endearing, grounded quality that suits his rugged rural material. To date, however, English radio has been slow on the uptake, and Big World seems destined to slip into The Voice abyss.

However, you suspect McCrorie will be embraced more warmly north of the border, and such a game plan has done no harm to his fellow Fifers, The Proclaimers.