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 plays mandolin, and William Ellis, a 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.
SOLO DEBUT
Kyle Hollingsworth - "Never Odd Or Even" (Sci Fidelity, 2004) * * *
It didn't take long for this jazz record by String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth to make an impression on me. While I'm not a huge fan of jam bands, and never really appreciated groups like Phish for the geniuses their fans make them out to be, it is clear that Hollingsworth is in his element here, especially on extended jams like "Seventh Step," which reminds me of some of Jethro Tull's more avant-garde material. And "Bam!" which features the brilliant Joshua Redman on saxophone, is a great example of how to blend the jam band musical ethos with jazz experimentation. This one's definitely worth checking out.
OFF THE RADAR
The Soul Rebels - "Rebelution" (Barn Burner, 2005) * * * * 1/2
This is a group you're going to hear a lot about in the next year or two, because there are only a handful of groups out there with the balls to put out an ingenious album like "Rebelution." Complete with a full horn section, including trumpets and a tuba, this six-man ensemble blazes their way through addictive gems like the latin-infused "Work It Out." And "It's High Time," which features Wordsworth and Rasheed on the mic, has serious potential to finally bring creative rap back onto the airwaves. Here's to hoping these guys keep on making "music by any means necessary," because the music world needs them.
MISSED THE MARK
Keller Williams - "Stage" (Sci Fidelity, 2004) - * *
Had this been a single album, it might have scored higher from me, because I would have heard a little less of the meandering of Keller Williams' eclectic stage shows. When he's at his best, Williams is a devilish one-man band with energy to burn. Songs like "Blazeabago" and his impressive covers of "Moondance" (Van Morrison) and "Under Pressure" (David Bowie) showcase Williams' ability to bring an audience under his sell as he loops any number of instruments through sound devices to create the illusion of a full band. When it works, and he's at his best, Williams brings up comparisons to inventive artists such as Bobby McFerrin. When he's at his sophomoric worst (on tracks like "Gate Crashers Suck," which contains lyrics I can't print here, and the insipid "Boob Job") he made me cringe and wish the album had been cut in half. It may be better to check out one of his impressive studio albums, such as "Home," instead.
Local Artists: Want to have your album featured in "In My Headphones?" E-mail jonathansanders@justice.com!
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