Your parents would have to be pretty big music fans to name you James Morrison. And then, to decide to go into music, you’d have to be smart enough not to go by “Jim”. While the latter is for certain, the former is a bit of a mystery as James Morrison’s first CD, Undiscovered, hits the U.S. on March 13.

Already a hit in his homeland, Britain, Morrison’s Undiscovered debuted at #1 on the U.K. charts, remained there for several weeks, and sold over 600,000 copies (with over 1 million worldwide), all on the backs of his first single, “You Gave Me Something” as well as “Wonderful World” both of which offer something for a wide variety of music lovers.

In fact, the whole album offers a variety of sound stylings sure to appeal to the masses. From the radio-friendly first track “Under the Influence” with its catchy melody and piano backup, to the soulful grooves of track #2’s “You Give Me Something” with its beautiful string accompaniment, Morrison could be called a true cross-over artist. His music slides easily into several genres, including adult contemporary, pop, R&B and more.

While Morrison’s sound has been compared to Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, John Lennon and Rod Stewart, one thing’s certain — his 22-year-old voice belies his years, sounding rich and deep and smooth, something that at first glance, you’d be surprised to hear coming from the baby-faced singer.

“Wonderful World” is track #3 and offers upbeat music in contrast to lyrics such as “And I know that it’s a wonderful world/But I can’t feel it right now.” As for track #4, “The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore,” be sure to dim the lights and listen with your honey, because this song could melt ice.

“One Last Chance” is the fifth track on the album and reminded me of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River.” This song would fit on any R&B radio station, or, for that matter, any radio station catering to smooth, soulful songs.

Track #6, “Undiscovered,” offers lyrics such as “You see the look that’s on my face/You might think I’m out of place,” which may have critics agreeing as it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what musical genre Morrison will fit into.

“The Letter” is the seventh track and offers guitar hooks and keyboard sounds reminiscent of The Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like and Eagle.” Track #8, “Call the Police,” reminds me of Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” – heavy on guitar and rock sounds.

In track #9, “This Boy,” Morrison sings of forgiveness for his mother, who struggled to raise Morrison and his two siblings alone. Track #10 “Better Man” has an acoustic Morrison proving he has the chops to stand out amongst his peers.

The last track, “The Last Goodbye” is the perfect way to end the album, once again bringing in the orchestra’s accompaniment to enhance Morrison’s soulful sound and heartfelt lyrics as he sings of heartbreak.

Sure, teenage girls (and most likely their mothers, too) will swoon over Morrison’s boyish good looks, but his lyrics and music have the potential to appeal to a wide range of music listeners, especially those with open minds who don’t readily dismiss him as “just another James Blunt.”

With the lyrics from “Undiscovered” still caught in my head, (“I’m not lost/Just undiscovered”) I’m pretty sure Morrison’s next album will be aptly titled My Huge Success in the U.S.

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