Teddy Thompson
Given the lullaby thatRichard Thompsonwrote to commemorate his son's birth ("There's nothing at the end of the rainbow / There's nothing to grow up for anymore"), Teddy Thompson turned out reasonably cheerful. True, when the British folk-rock legend's son sings "It's not so much that you left / It's that you didn't come back" on "A Step Behind," you can hear echoes of dad's droll delivery, melancholy modes, and waltz-time signatures. But Teddy's voice is sweeter than his pop's, whether crooning on theCrowded House-like "Wake Up," harmonizing withRufus Wainwrighton "So Easy," or even dropping allusions to letter bombs on the wry "Thanks a Lot." With tasteful musical assistance from producer Joe Henry's band (as well as Papa Richard), this eponymous debut is a low-key introduction to a rock offspring worth hearing.--Bill Forman