Soldiering on with saccharine sounds

James Blunt

“Back to Bedlam” (Atlantic)

* 1/2

BLUNT is the pop success story of the year in England, and his album arrives here with a lot of back story: The singer-songwriter is an ex-army captain who was part of the peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, and he guarded the Queen Mother’s coffin at Westminster Abbey.

Switching to music, he hooked up with a respected producer (L.A.’s Tom Rothrock, who has worked with Beck and Elliott Smith), and the CD has spent weeks at No. 1 back home. Too bad it’s not as colorful as the resume.

Blunt has an odd, high-pitched vocal style that makes the music sound more exotic than it is on first listening. Ultimately, that voice reminds you of the ultra-emotional exclamations of David Gray.

Typical of the album’s empty romantic devotion:

Will you be my shoulder

when I’m gray and old?

Promise me tomorrow

starts with you?

If that sounds a little precious, wait until you hear the ever-so-sentimental arrangement.

Blunt may capture lots of hearts if mainstream radio takes a fancy to him. Mostly, though, this music, meant to be unabashedly heartfelt, feels unbearably saccharine. Blunt will be at the Wiltern LG on Nov. 5 and 6 with Jason Mraz.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.