When thinking of popular cultural figures that best display a sense of 'British-ness', one immediately recalls people like Morrissey, Paul Weller and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Add Damien Gough (a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy) to that list.

In an attempt to embrace his national heritage, Gough has recorded this paean to the Motherland with Born In The U.K. (yet another reference to his hero Bruce Springsteen). Despite the grand connotations that the title suggests, Born In The U.K. (apart from the title track) is really just another solid collection of charming woozy ditties that Gough is known for.

Songs like 'A Journey From A To B' and 'The Long Way Around' are well crafted pop numbers that owe a great debt to Burt Bacharach musically whilst still containing Gough's lyrical prowess. What will turn heads (and split listeners) is 'Welcome To The Overground'. Treading the fine line between a homage to an early 70s psychedelic musical and a Fifth Dimension pastiche 'Welcome To The Underground' at the very least feels out of place with the rest of the songs on the album.

First single 'Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind' is a lush, sweeping ballad that has Gough delivering one of his best vocal performances. It isn't what you would expect as a single from Badly Drawn Boy being a bit more straightforward but it is a welcoming one never the less. On the other hand 'Degrees Of Separation' has all the characteristics of a future single.

A few gems bring up the back end of the album as well. 'Walk You Home Tonight' is reminiscent of vintage Style Council though the thought of Gough wearing a white skivvy doesn't sit right. 'One Last Dance' finishes the set and is a tender ode to his wife Clare, comparing each other to great movie idols of yesteryear and listening to Springsteen tunes.

After a frustrating bout of recording where initial sessions were scrapped, Badly Drawn Boy has released an album that, while being his most streamlined, doesn't quite match the heights of his score to About A Boy. But Gough is a long distance artist, not a sprinter, and his peak is still ahead of him.