David Sneddon is the latest pop star to be thrown up by a reality TV show (in this case, Fame Academy), which for some people will be more than enough reason to hate him instantly. That, however, would be unfair for while he's no Bob Dylan, Sneddon is at least a performer with honesty, integrity and a fair degree of soul. Perhaps it's because, as the title suggests, he's spent the last seven years hauling himself and his guitar around the club circuit - many of these self-penned songs are about his struggles along the way, trying to attract the interest of drunken punters and failing more often than not. His underdog image proves to be quite endearing - and he also shows himself to be a songwriter of some promise, redeeming his pub-rock arrangements with infectious piano melodies and an attractively low-key falsetto. His album is no masterpiece, and the man may very well be forgotten about by this time next year. But compared to the likes of Six, David Sneddon is surely entitled to at least a bit of respect.
