(Astralwerks)
Badly Drawn Boy is the nom de pop of Damon Gough, a deceptively scruffy-looking keyboards-and-guitar-playing Englishman who makes classic, catchy songs that are simultaneously smart and accessible.
Perhaps best known for his songs for the movie "About a Boy," Gough knows how to be clever without being a novelty act. He also has a knack for writing self-contained songs that often refer to each other, an attention to detail lacking in most albums.
Where Beck's most recent album, "Sea Change," had a slow, wintry feel, Gough has made a late-winter album. Dark days have unfolded; love has been won and lost.
His worldview can be understood from this lyric, notably the only one published in the booklet: "It's been a while since we spoke / But there's still hope / If we materialize the myth — never trivialize the kiss / It feels like there's no fire left in your eyes / and this is how love dies." Even that is set to a bouncy beat.
Overall, "One Plus One Is One" is a bit more subdued than his previous albums but still retains a quick appeal that is instantly recognizable as Gough's. The American edition features two bonus tracks: "Don't Ask Me I'm Only the President" is a rushed, demo-worthy protest song in the folk tradition. The real treat, though, is "Plan B," which manages to seamlessly add Brazilian bossa nova and video-game blips to the established Badly Drawn sound, hopefully a sign of future sonic exploration.
Few CDs are really worth the $15, right? This one is. No other artist today carries on, and updates, the great British style of groups like the Kinks and Badfinger like Badly Drawn Boy. The recording is crisp and warm; it sounds intimate, as if the group were sitting around your living room.
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