By DOTTIE PARIS

It takes someone from another country to tell us what we are doing right in America, and that’s what Glenn Meling does with his lead single, “Brother Jonathan,” off his new album Minnesota.

It’s a beautiful sound and Meling has done his research, as the Norwegian pop singer-songwriter based his lead song on the name hopeful immigrants gave the U.S. in the days prior to the moniker “Uncle Sam.”

Listen to the Glenn Meling album Minnesota on Soundcloud

The song is one of several beautiful tunes on Meling’s new album, Minnesota. And his work comes at the right time, when people in the U.S. should re-evaluate what being an American really means.  Not only can we learn something from Meling, but listening to his songs and words is a respite from the disunity our nation faces today.

Meling’s voice is beautiful, with an alluring charm that draws in the listener and it would be easy to listen to anything this talented singer puts forth. He also plays guitar and keyboards and this multi-talented artist shows his achievements on several tracks on Minnesota, his third album.

Check out Glenn Meling’s Facebook page

Meling has lived in Australia, the United Kingdom and Norway, and has been making music since he was young. He studied in London performing solo gigs when he met sound engineer Steve Honest who engineered the album Sometimes a Bigger Heart.

His previous album, Melingrad, released in 2007, was produced in a Norwegian boathouse in one of the fjords near Bergen.

Meling developed an interest in the adventures in America of his fellow Norwegians after traveling around the U.S.

In particular, his music centers on his interest in countrymen and women who settled the midwest in the 1800s.

The songs on Minnesota range from upbeat rock to shoegaze electronic and everything in between. Notables include “Far Away From Home,” “The New Day,” and “America.”

Through his music, Meling gives us a rare insight into our own country, what it means to be able to enjoy our lives, and what we have been given.  Minnesota is a small and beautiful triumph for us all.

WestCoastRocker.com Rating: ★★★★