Todd Deatherage

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Deatherage carries that style through much of the record, but he also throws in a Latin groove in "Over You" (with a haunting falsetto chorus) and a rockabilly crowd pleaser called "She's Leaving Me." He also tries a swanky lounge number, "Lose Myself," complete with sax and trombone, but he doesn't have the pipes to pull it off.

Just as I thought I was figuring him out, I cued up his highly produced 2006 self-titled EP (made in England), and I was amazed to discover a power pop performer whose more complex compositions carry polished layers of sound similar to Sting or Elvis Costello. The lyrics are also dependable pop sentiments like "Am I gonna linger on, after all our days our gone? Will I still be in your head, after final words are said?"

Deatherage's lanky good looks — he's like a sweeter Pete Townsend — should bolster his pop presence. But he is almost too relaxed on stage, hardly seeming to notice when he's playing a cool guitar riff. Maybe he just feels supremely calm and confident with Stu Tucker's smooth percussion. But it's a performing style that risks coming off as reserved and even a little bored.