David Saw ‘Different Story’ (David Saw/Absolute Records), Released 20/10/03

Just what the world needs right now, another stool rock acoustic troubadour to bore the pants of us.  Enter David Shaw, with a collection of songs on ‘Different Story’ that are so indistinct and un-noteworthy that they hardly merit a reaction.

‘Hanging with the Big Guns’, with it’s blindingly obvious Dylan influence, limps lamely by as a desperate Hammond organ struggles to regain your interest whilst ‘Big Deal’ evokes none another than Canadian, stadium-shagging rock behemoth Bryan Adams.  So very middle of the road is this album that it makes David Gray sound a little bit left field and risqué, but with big soppy anthems like ‘Love After Wine’ (featuring the obligatory string section) and the ‘dishy’ good looks to match, who knows, a place as the ‘housewives favourite’ alongside Ronan Keating could be on the cards.