CD Review

Proving to be more than just a looker for the ladies, James Blunt has recently achieved the momentous task of booting Coldplay from the top of the UK charts, a spot it proudly held for eight weeks. And to poor fire over Chris Martin’s ego, Blunt has been named one of Rolling Stone’s elusive list of "ten to watch." With his debut, Back To Bedlam hitting the states this month, Blunt and his Rod Stewart tailored rasp, are soon to become the next big Brit import in the singer-songwriter game.

Back To Bedlam relies heavily on his influences (Cat Power, Elliott Smith) while winding his record into that of a diary with a touch of pop sensibility. With self-professing anthems like "You’re Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover," he easily connects with his sincere melodrama. While the best tunes are the Damien Rice type numbers that give you goosebumps, Blunt makes a free-flowing album that peels with some groovy shufflers ( "So Long Jimmy," "Billy") and feel good rockers ("Wisemen," Out of My Mind"). One can only assume that James Blunt will be a latch as the heroic lovelorn balladeer or simple mellow rocker when the mood hits just right.