Johnathan Rice
If James Blunt reeks of blandness and you refuse to listen to him on the grounds that your mum is forever telling you what a lovely boy he is, then Johnathan Rice may well be the solution in your quest for a singer/songwriter with attitude. Having gone from strength to strength this year after supporting R.E.M at their sold out gigs in Hyde Park and Cardiff, early 2006 will see Johnathan Rice star alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon in the Johnny Cash biopic, 'Walk The Line' in which he plays the great Roy Orbison. On top of this he kicked off his headline UK tour in October. So has there actually been time for new music? The answer is a resounding yes. After featuring in an episode of The O.C season two, 'So Sweet' has been remixed and released as a single displaying the talent that is Johnathan Rice.
With a husky voice that could even make a grown man go weak at the knees, Johnathan Rice is able to give a rock edge to the ballad formula adding his own touch of style. Rice's latest offering is a song screaming to be played in the car on a sunny day with all the windows down as it succeeds in instilling a cheeriness with every beat. This is a song that possesses all the right quantities to make it a hit. If the vocal talents alone fail to captivate you, then the upbeat tempo will have you nodding along in time with the beat. Add to this a catchy spread of 'la, la, las' at various intervals and Johnathan Rice seems to have all bases covered. 'So Sweet' is an uplifting tune with a mellowness that oozes from Rice's vocal expertise but still packs enough of a punch to halt any sign of blandness.