Well, it’s not quite [a]Arab Strap[/a]. The subject matter may be dysfunctional relationships and the attitude is certainly strangely lo-fi, but there’s no chance of [a]Ben Vaughn[/a] turning up at the next Bowlie Weekender.
He’s just a country boy, you see. A laid-back kind of guy with only a cigarette and his guitar for company. He doesn’t have love, nope, but he’s got the blues. Indeed, he’s already collaborated with half of Nashville and recently gained extra indie points at a Scottish gig when Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian joined his backing band. But yet you probably know him better as the man behind the theme from [I]Third Rock From The Sun[/I].
If that doesn’t put you off, the eight songs here are Ben‘s tales of love disasters. They’re lazy, end-of-the-evening numbers to sit on your porch and blow smoke circles to. Smouldering over the moody steel guitars, Ben resembles a less depressing Chris Isaak or a more streetwise Johnny Cash on highlights ‘Out On The Porch’ and the jauntier ‘Quote Unquote’. All quite beautiful, but still ultimately a predictable reminder that listening to others’ woe is never very interesting.