Teddy Thompson: Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson must not believe all that strongly in first impressions; otherwise, why would he bury the best tracks on his self-titled debut so late in its running time The waltz-time "A Step Beyond" and "Thanks A Lot" instantly bring to mind the best nouveau adult-pop of Aimee Mann and Elliott Smith, but by that point Thompson has set himself up as a pleasant lightweight. The son of Richard and Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson has genetics on his side, with a powerful voice and, in his best moments, the songwriting skills to match his heritage. Too bad, then, that his debut feels so tentative. As a low-key balladeer, Thompson only sporadically makes an impression, particularly with stand-outs such as "Wake Up" and "So Easy." Elsewhere, there's an unshakable ready-for-AOR feel to the material, the sort of mellow, edgeless songs that—unfair comparison or not—Thompson's father (who contributes guitar work to about half of the album) has avoided at every point in his career. Joe Henry provides sympathetic, crisp, unadventurous production, while famous friends Jon Brion and Rufus Wainwright both drop by for cameos. But it's a lovely bonus-track duet with Emmylou Harris that truly brings the album to life. That Thompson more than holds his own with Harris is a sign that he'll likely grow into the promise glimpsed on this pleasant if ultimately unsatisfying first effort.