Many people think there’s a sharp contrast between country and rock music, but The Literary Greats just blurred that line.

The band describes themselves as a rock, indie and country band, and the music on their self-titled debut album sounds much like a combination of R.E.M. and Alabama. This music is more reminiscent of slower-paced pop-rock than fast-charged metal, but this makes for an easy listen.

Many of the songs on this album have well-crafted guitar work and beautiful vocals – especially “Rach179” and “Listen to the Band,” while “Sort It Out” and “ATL” are just plain depressing. The energy picks up here and there, but each song soon falls back to the guitar-driven mood from whence they came.

The Literary Greats are a new band out of Houston, Texas, and are becoming increasingly popular. In December, The Literary Greats ranked 59 on a top-125 CD list of 2007 by the Absolute Powerpop blog.

The album is a little too depressing, but if you have a fondness for R.E.M. or Alabama, or just want to hear a CD that’s a nice blend between the country and rock genres, listen to some of The Literary Greats’ songs. Visit the band’s MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/theliterarygreats.