Simultaneously innocent and powerful, Badly Drawn Boy’s album The Hour of the Bewilderbeast is the perfect Valentine’s Day soundtrack.

Damon Gough (aka Badly Drawn Boy) proves to be the antidote to the barrage of ‘bubblegum pop’ we seem to be plagued with recently in North America.

Definitely one of the best contemporary songwriters to come along in ages; he evokes the acoustic masters like Nick Drake, or an early Bruce Springsteen. Ignoring its commercialization in the Gap’s Christmas TV promo, The Shining is a lush acoustic gem with muted trumpets and long instrumental intro. Songs like Once Around The Block and Disillusion are reminiscent of eighties band Style Council with jazz undertones and gorgeous production.

If you and your beloved are spending Valentine’s couchbound with a stack of crosswords, eating cereal from the box, consider adding a little Badly Drawn Boy to the mix. One added bonus: this 18 track album is extra long, eliminating the need to change the cd, and minimizing interruptions to your romantic interludes.

Winner of the coveted Mercury Prize award (essentially UK’s album of the year), The Hour of the Bewilderbeast will not disappoint with its fine collection of love songs for slackers.