Badly Drawn Boy

The introduction to the fifth Badly Drawn Boy record states, "It only matters that you can be proud of where you came from." Certainly the record that follows demonstrates singer Damon Gough's homeland hubris, though with just enough realism to make it an apt counterpart to the Boss original. And though "Welcome to the Overground" shimmers with optimism, it's the title tune that shows Gough's true colors, tying together the contradictions in British patriotism with a duplicitous "sense of loathing and belonging" that mirrors the bittersweet songs.

Way back in 2000, nothing sounded like Badly Drawn Boy's debut album, The Hour of
Bewilderbeast: bedroom chamber pop with achingly sad songs exquisitely arranged for
everything from cellos to theremins. Damon Gough, the shaggy Manchester lad with a
Springsteen fixation hiding behind the Badly Drawn Boy name, was hailed as a genius.
Gough's three follow-up albums have been made from that sonic mold: all crafte... More >