Music Review: 'Guest Host'

After two wonderful albums with his cheekily named band the Negro Problem, Stew, the brother from another planet (L.A., actually) delivers the solo debut Guest Host (The Telegraph Company), brimming with wry, joyously tuneful pop gems. Shall we call this talented oddball the black Burt Bacharach? The inner-city Brian Wilson? The bastard offspring of Arthur Lee and Phoebe Snow? Let’s — and hope someone’s listening. A