CD Review: Clay Hughes’ Burn

Clay Hughes‘ Burn could be a radio juggernaut, if in the hands of the right people. Mixing the laid-back surfer folk of Jack Johnson with the psychedelic soul of Gnarls Barkley, Hughes has all the earmarks of a potential hit-maker.

Granted, the album isn’t 100% perfect. The recording quality suffers at times, with the horns on “Passing Thoughts” and Jabee‘s guest spot on “The Truth” both sounding as if they were recorded inside a steel trashcan. Those are the sorts of touches that can really take you out of a recording. Funnily enough, however, other elements that might be described as “amateurish,” like the dog barking at the end of one track, or the “oh, yeah!” on “Some People” actually end up lending an enthusiastic air to Burn.