Daniel Powter - 'Daniel Powter' (Warner Bros) Released 08/08/05

Statistical research reveals that one in six British households contains a Beautiful South album amongst their record collections. Canada's Daniel Powter looks like becoming another of our guilty pleasures, although admiring pop this perfect should hardly qualify as a sin. Even if he's the latest in the line of increasingly ubiquitous singer-songwriters.

Hailing from the distinctly unsexy-sounding Vernon in British Columbia, this is an artist who oozes, nay drips, sensuality. To describe him as easy listening is not meant as a criticism, merely an observation. Powter himself prefers to be pigeonholed as purveying "keyboard music on steroids".

'Free Loop' comes on like near-teen Fab-Four-wannabees The Redwalls, although at 34 DP has enjoyed more listening years. And so it shows with the range of influences on this self-titled album. There's times he sounds like Charles and/or Eddie of Charles and Eddie fame and others a hybrid of Ben Folds and James Blunt. 'Jimmy Gets High' manifests itself like a distant cousin, but a relation nonetheless, of N*E*R*D's classic 'Bobby James'.  Former addict Powter does seem a tad obsessed about drugs with recent hit single 'Bad Day' an autobiographical story outlining the perils of too many cocaine nights. Meanwhile on penultimate track 'Lost on the Stoop' he metamorphoses into Tori Amos. With balls.

Potentially the classically-trained Canadian could exceed even the popularity of The Beautiful South. It's down to you guys. Now don't be all short-armed and deep-pocketed about buying this album. Every home should have one.