Rating: NNN
Son of Dave is a one-man band, and he may or may not in fact be a son of a Dave. No matter. Former Crash Test Dummy Ben Darvill builds the foundation of his songs with dirty Delta blues guitar riffs, then fills in the blanks with wailing harmonica, gravelly grunts and moans and vocal percussion. That’s right: beatboxing. Sounds dreadful on paper, but with Son of Dave’s obvious playfulness, 02 is fun, catchy and seductive. It’s not the blues or beatboxing for purists, and that’s precisely what makes it worthwhile.
Son of Dave plays the Drake Hotel tonight (Thursday, June 30).