Former Blue Merle frontman Lucas Reynolds has always looked cooler on paper (raised in a geodesic dome by a woodworker; spent time as a river guide and cattle rancher before moving on to music) than his music has suggested. For all their off-kilter promise, Blue Merle frequently sounded like nothing so much as Coldplay lite – a damn shame for a Nashville buzz band with a mandolin player and a violinist in the lineup. Now that Blue Merle has bitten the dust, Reynolds has moved on to Pictures and Sound, and adjusted his sound accordingly: this 10-song set sounds like what might happen if Bob Schneider collaborated with Citizen Cope. That’s a good thing, in case you were wondering – although Pictures and Sound lacks the “raw energy” Reynolds claims to have been aiming for, it boasts unobtrusive production and plenty of hooks to go with his butter-soft vocals. Highlights include the instantly memorable “It’s You” and “100 Directions,” as well as “Every War,” which combines remedial peacenik poetry with a wonderfully left-field appearance from Willie Nelson. If you have a significant other who’s been tormenting you with Jack Johnson records, swap ‘em out for this. You won’t be sorry. (Vanguard 2008)
