Clashes in style make 'Fish' float belly-up

What is it about imported talent from the United Kingdom that we like so much here in the States? It isn't as if the UK is some untapped musical oasis where talent is left unexplored; in fact, the stateside music industry has been capitalizing off UK talent since the The Beatles.\nFor some, Badly Drawn Boy, aka Damon Gough, is just another import generating buzz and increasing media exposure, but for those who have loved him since his 2000 acclaimed debut, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, this attention is long overdue.\nBadly Drawn Boy hit the mainstream stateside market when he wrote and performed the entire score for "About A Boy," the Hugh Grant vehicle that came out earlier this year. BDB's third album, Have You Fed The Fish?, seems a worthy follow up, allowing the artist more freedom to develop and nurture his sound.\nWhile his Web site, www.badlydrawnboy.com, characterizes BDB as a "pop star," the reality is, there is very little "pop" to be found. He combines heavy synthesizer and percussion with a style teetering between folk and classic rock.\nThe title track is reminiscent of the monster ballad, "Sister Christian," performed by Night Ranger, in that the keyboard and guitar start out quietly, grow slightly softer as BDB starts with the vocals, then proceed to rock out. \n"The Further I Slide" sounds semi-electronic and at the same time, disco-like. The use of background vocalists severely diminishes the quality of many of the tracks, in particular, "Using Our Feet." \nBDB uses various sorts of interludes to link songs together, both thematically and contextually. "Centrepeace" is a dramatic string orchestration without vocals, simply there to pass the time. \nWhile the "About A Boy" score helped with character development and plot movement, Have You Fed The Fish? is missing both the character and the film. The clash of styles is too jarring, proving to be an overall uneven listening experience. While he is no doubt a talented singer-songwriter, consider BDB an acquired taste.