Album: Son Of Dave, O3 (Kartel)

Benjamin Darvill’s performances as one-man-band Son Of Dave have probably made him a cooler prospect now than when he was in the charts as part of Canadian alt.rockers Crash Test Dummies.

And deservedly so judging by this latest album, on which he expands his basic looped bluesharp, beatbox ’n’-foot stomp grooves to accommodate additional layers of guitar, piano and organ, along with some sultry female backing vocals underpinning his own whisky ’n’ Woodbine voice.

Like Seasick Steve, the key to Son Of Dave’s appeal lies in the mesmeric, mantra-like quality of his grooves, whether he’s doing a strutting funk-blues rap chant like the opening “Old Times Were Good Times”, combining hums, murmurs, handclaps and gently throbbing harmonica as on the spiteful “Your Mercedes”, or effecting a slinky falsetto cover of War’s classic “Low Rider”.

"Lover Not A Fighter" from O3 features in this month's Independent Audio Player. CLICK HERE to listen.

To order any CD previewed here, call the Independent Music Service on 01634 832 789.