Bart Davenport

by Margaret Reges
Having spent a large chunk of the 1990s as part of the Loved Ones and, later, the Kinetics, Bart Davenport struck out on his own in the early 2000s, drawing from any number of soft rock, classic rock, and singer/songwriter influences (Thin Lizzy, Al Stewart, and James Taylor, just to name a few) in formulating his silky-smooth, eminently laid-back indie pop tunes. His self-titled debut album was released on Antenna Farm Records in 2002, and he released two more albums on that label (Game Preserve and Maroon Cocoon) over the course of the next three years. All three albums showcased Davenport's velvety vocal prowess and a loungey, retro vibe that nodded to Call and Response, the Bees, and (in his folkier moments) the Kings of Convenience. Davenport took a break from his solo work following the release of Maroon Cocoon in order to focus on Honeycut, who enjoyed a modicum of mainstream success when one of their tunes was featured in a 2007 Apple iMac ad. It wasn't long, however, before Davenport resumed working on his solo material; his fourth studio album, Palaces, hit stores in 2008.