Winter is depressing and often leaves us stuck studying at College Library watching snow fall through the windows, knowing the 80 will be too full to take us back home on the slippery roads when we are finished. So, after sliding down Bascom Hill and having a frozen face, one would be pretty flustered. An easy way to resolve this problem would be to write music, and this is what The Cloud Hymn, originating from Eau Claire, resolved to do, which lead to the creation of the band’s first album, A Seed Buried in the Ground.

Singer-songwriter John Nielsen wrote most of the songs on the album as a means of coping with emotions and processing his spirituality while still attending college. Nielsen had little intentions to pursue his music, but when fellow musicians heard his songs, they encouraged him to pursue more than just his home-recording hiss.

The album’s sound consists of an airy voice and guitar over simple piano melodies. Nielsen’s voice sounds similar to a commercial acoustic heartthrob — think John Mayer — which, although pleasant, is unoriginal. The lyrics, however, are unique in their somewhat religious influence. The opening song “Wide” features Nielsen humming “Show me the place where this life is just a daze/ Show me the day where the paths will fall away/ Come tell my eyes to be open wide/ And God I know you’ve been here the whole time.” These lyrics suggest a similar subject matter to most religious bands, but knowing the music originated four hours away from Madison, in Eau Claire, makes it more interesting. Beyond his loyal, local listeners, most will think this album has repetitive songs, so the “seed” might not be blossoming into a flower for this band.

The songs all melt together in complete cohesion, making for a lonely and lovely trip through the writer’s consciousness. They are whispered, melancholy accounts of buttoning up and spilling open, of looking out and looking in. They are pulling for something and someone else, which leads to the Christian influence throughout the songs of a higher power helping through the tough times.

If you’re looking for a crazy jig-inducing album, this may not be the ideal choice. A Seed Buried in the Ground is mellow and can be better used for relaxation, or on a bedtime playlist. The 11 songs have a connection with the transition and life changes of the artist and were written during the mud of colorful leaves and the frost of leaves deceased, and as the seasons, as well as the artist, changed.

31/2 stars out of 5.