Bart Davenport is one of indie rock's great unsung singer-songwriters, having done everything from R&B to post-punk to breezy psych pop with finesse across the last twenty years. Blue Motel is a rather intriguing work, the result of his new group The Bedazzled coming together to make something dynamic that crosses a few eras and then some.

Remarkably groovy at every opportunity, like early Echo & The Bunnymen but with a sophisti-pop bent and some Big Star / Badfinger flourishes, the overall sound is warm and nostalgic, but expertly created. Like the boys over at Young Gun Silver Fox, Bart has a compelling talent in regards to writing songs that sound timeless. Evidence of this is heard everywhere, but comes to a potent head on the delicious 'Your Sorrow' and the snappy, sounds-like-it-should-be-in-a-Tarantino-film 'The House That Built Itself'. There's nothing but great songwriting afoot here, even when they slow down a bit on 'Halloween By The Sea' or the mournful, near Canterbury Scene-flavored 'Life Under Water'. Lots of great lyrics too, including a few you can take to the bank with interest (Now when the sun goes down and moonlight starts / That’s when the amateurs begin breaking hearts).

A record of many sublime moods and ideas, here's to Bart in 2019 and beyond.