EVEN before the launch of his album, James Morrison is being burdened by some pretty high level plaudits to live up to.

National media have spoken of him being the next James Blunt and his own website has placed him as having a vocal talent 'somewhere between Otis Redding and Al Green'.

It’s a suggestion the down-to-earth 21 year-old songwriter from Rugby is quick to laugh off.

"I can’t possibly be like those guys. That’s definitely where my influences are coming from and I suppose its a compliment if people are writing that," he offered, sounding in the kind of form you might expect for someone having gained their first record deal.

His debut album, Undiscovered, is about to hit the streets and will no-doubt soundtrack bars, car stereos and indie venues up and down the land. For once, this won't be down to the PR people pumping shed loads of money at its promotion, more the fact that it is a genuinely great recording brimming with potential hits.

"Thing are so exciting at the moment, it’s happening so fast that there is no time to let it sink in," he said of the prospect of being thrust into the spotlight.

His heartfelt ballads and soulful anthems are head and shoulders above the vast majority of the competition.

James gained his first TV appearance on the Jools Holland show recently, which proved somewhat nerve-wracking.

"I was definitely nervous at first as I remember my mother saying to me years back- you’ll be on there one day and I just say, right mum!"

Since the age of 13 he began playing in bands and gradually built up his songwriting skills.

Inspired by a broad spectrum of rock, blues and soul, he realised early on that music would, with any fortune, feature heavily in his life.

Moving to Cornwall in his teens, he passed his music GCSE with flying colours, but admits that he was a "complete failure" when he tried to take it a step further with his A levels.

"I found with the A level that it was far too technical, they’d be asking you things like what a certain Oboe part was- I could tell them what it was, but not the actual notes. I didn’t want to do music for that, I just wanted to write songs."

After this deflating experience he found himself in a dead end job as a car valet while struggling against unimpressed bar managers to get some pub gigs.

When an acquaintance of his passed a few early demos on to a record label, to his great surprise it sparked considerable interest. Plenty of corporate wrangling later and he found himself snapped up by Polydor records.

Though there’s a sense of upbeat wonder and celebration in his sounds, a fair deal of fuss has been made of his more introspective lyrics.

Familiar themes of lost love and weathering personal storms are often brought to the fore, but at no point do you feel he is wallowing.

"I wanted to write songs about what I have experienced and to reach people who may not have had it so great, maybe far worse than me. I’m not moaning with my music, but just dealing with things have been through and made me who I am.

"It was tough growing up as the family didn’t have a lot of money, my dad moved out when I was really young and so I have had to make my own way in life and carve my own niche."

Those looking for a lazy peg to hang his sound on have labelled him as the next James Blunt, which has understandably grated with him.

But if all the initial hype and sold out gigs are anything to go by, then there is clearly a very large niche for this skillful pretender to the singer songwriter throne. He’ll surely not be undiscovered for long.

James Morrison plays the V Festival in Chelmsford on Sunday, August 19 and London’s ULU on Wednesday, September 6.