Blue Merle - "Burning in the Sun"(Island, 2005) - * * * *

This may very well be the best album to come out so far this year. Rarely does a band manage to take so many differing styles and combine them in a way that is both commercially viable and pleasing to the ear. Blue Merle is so good that when vocalist Lucas Reynolds and bassist Jason Oettel were laying down a demo recording in Nashville, the president of Sony Publishing dropped in, heard their music, and offered them a contract on the spot. They turned it down. Now the band is signed to Island, and along with Beau Stapleton, a Neil Young disciple who happens to play mandolin, and William Ellis, a classically trained session drummer, they've completed an amazing album, one you've got to hear to believe. A lot of credit has to go to Stephen Harris, who has produced amazing albums by U2, Dave Matthews Band and Kula Shaker. His subtle touch allowed the band to go their own direction with the music, while keeping the impressive orchestrations from drowning in bombast. The album has potential to produce hits on both Country radio ("Part of Your History") and Top 40 radio ("Burning in the Sun"). It seems Blue Merle knows how to please just about everyone without batting an eye, drawing comparisons to Coldplay and Ray LaMontagne. Give Blue Merle's debut a listen. It is an immediate lesson in what it takes to craft a listenable album that experiments broadly without drowning in pretension.

Blue Merle - "Burning in the Sun"
Blue Merle - Part of Your History"