Son Of Dave

Winnipegger Benjamin Darvill survived a long stint as a multi-instrumentalist for the dreaded Crash Test Dummies before reinventing himself as one-man band bluesman Son of Dave. He's something of a cult fave in Britain (his current base) and this, the fourth SoD album, deserves to boost his profile at home. The fact that it was recorded and mixed in Chicago by Steve Albini should aid the cause. Son of Dave transcends the gimmicky aspect of playing everything by coming up with some catchy songs, often built around some convincingly bluesy harmonica blowing, as on "She just Danced All Night." Staccato percussion adds to the earthy, primal feel of the music and his vocals have a convincingly haunted vibe, as on "Guilty" and "Broke-down Lincoln."