Late of Hefner, Darren Hayman is London's laureate of sexual dysfunction, discomfort, and dog-eared under-achievement. After Hefner's demise, he made a record of sublime, bittersweet electropop under the moniker the French, but found himself prevented from further recording by contractual wrangles.

A free man at last, he is moving into warmer, more organic territory on Table For One. Hayman's world might seem grimly parochial but prickly moments of recognition lift every song into something sweetly noble and moving. Best is the almost unbearably poignant Doug Yule's Velvet Underground, which restores a little dignity to the band's brutally unloved final phase, "with none of the original members 'cos Maureen thought she'd take a rest".

As the music wheezes, rattles and chimes around him, you realise he's the match of Ray Davies, or any of the quintessentially English masters.