The first time I heard Nashville's Blue Merle, I could have sworn it was a side project of Coldplay's Chris Martin. Although the lead singer may sound alot like Martin, the music itself goes in several different directions with an occasional fiddle or violin thrown in. Two of the first few tracks, "Burning in the Sun" and "Lucky to Know You" were great folk-rockers with swirling violins and fiddles here and there, giving them each a bluegrass or country-rock feel. Other great songs are the powerful Keane-ish ballad, "If I Could," and the exciting, thumping John Mayer-ish jangler "Boxcar
Racer." The last half of the album was filled with hip violin-flavored ballads in the style of Neil Young or Counting Crows, and the two upbeat bluegrass-folkies "Seeing Through You" and "Either Way it Goes." But by far the best tracks are the ones that sound the most like Coldplay – "Stay" and the somber, piano-driven "Every Ship Must Sail Away." I found myself playing this sad yet brilliant song again and again for its
beautiful ending. Much like Coldplay or any modern-day singer-songwriter, Blue Merle is great for setting a good, relaxing, mind-set. Burning in the Sun is uniformly strong from top to bottom and perhaps the best rainy day listen of the year.