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5. Sean Watkins, 26 Miles (Sugarhill)
[play it on Rhapsody]

Sean Watkins is, above all else, a flatpick guitar virtuoso. On his first album, 2001′s Let It Fall, most of the tracks were instrumental, showcasing some amazing flatpick fireworks but leaving me pretty cold. On 26 Miles, Watkins does away with the flashy stuff, bringing out his skill as a pop songwriter. What makes this album remarkable is the way its disparate influences blend. You can clearly hear melodies from Elliott Smith, acoustic bass work that Ron Carter wouldn’t be ashamed of, bluegrass violin and guitar solos, and John Mayer-like confessional tenor lead vocals. There is also, it must be said, the occasional gorgeous-but-trite harmonic move reminiscent of Christian rock. The bluegrass and Christian rock infuences come from Watkins’ other project, the pop-bluegrass group Nickel Creek. But Watkins’ songwriting on 26 Miles is much more adventurous than the songs he writes for Nickel Creek, letting pop songwriting and the jazz backgrounds of his sidemen lead him to brew a perfect, tasty blend.