Bella Verve****

If they gave out Mercury prizes for self-loathing, Teddy Thompson would be a sure-fire contender. Consider these lyrics from Over and Over: "Some time ago I came up with a plan/Shit on myself so that no one else can." This is set against the gilded combo of a string section and an acoustic guitar, which only serves to highlight Thompson's corroded view of self. Yet there's something mesmerisingly redemptive about his black-humoured self-examination, his voice an instrument of pleading pleasure. It helps, of course, that this son of rock royalty (Richard and Linda) is a sumptuous pop songwriter, selective in his influences (among them the great Roy Orbison) and sure with his feel for melody. David Kahne's bright but subtle production allows the songs to breathe – the ideal light and shade for Thompson's gloomy insight. A David Lynch soundtrack beckons. See teddy thompson.com

Download tracks: Looking for a Girl, Over and Over, Gotta Have Someone