Howie Day doesn't get a whole lot of airplay, and a lot of people think he ripped his hairdo off of Ryan "is he or is he not a Simpson" Cabrera.

However, he is pretty much a musical genius in the works.

When he released his first CD, Australia, in 2002, Day didn't receive much of anything except a few songs on the Dawson's Creek soundtrack.

But to Day's fans, Australia may be what first got him noticed put him on the map.

The New England native was barely into his 20s when the CD was released, and Day had already cultivated a one-man-band style of looping, which means he would record a beat, vocal or strumming and make it loop while he recorded more on top of it.

The technique created a feel that Day had background vocals and another guitar playing harmony.

On Day's first CD, he released, "Ghost," which got minimal airplay and even less video play on MTV.

When he performs live, Day couples lyrics like, "I was alone for the last time/Before my night's vacation with you/Alive from the first/Now I'm denied by the ghost of you" with improvised lyrics and he ends the song with the with the outro to "Beams of Light."

It may be Day's mellow, but meaningful"Sorry, So Sorry," which he has performed on many late night talk shows, that deserves the most credit on this particular album. The song seems to showcase Day's vocal range and talent better than most of the other songs on this record do.

Whether on the CD or live, Day manages to break through the song and hit the listener with notes that seem impossible to sing.

"I meant you're outta line/With your friends and all your jokes/Moving out tonight/Making phones that hot to hold," Day howls up until the last note, leaving audiences and fans screaming for more.

Day, one of the few artists who allows fans to record at his concerts, is touring for his latest album, 2003's Stop All the World Now.

His fan base is huge, and if you Google his name, you will find more music-trading sites than you can imagine. Thanks to the sites, Day fans are able to listen to concerts that they might not have been able to attend, in turn getting pretty different versions of the songs Day is becoming known for.

What seems to be the best part about Australia is that it sounds and flows like the CD of a distinguished artist. Each song stands out in its own right and each one is as good as the next. In true Howie Day fan spirit, it's hard to say which song is the best, but that's why there are 11 different songs to choose from, each with different themes.

In "Slow Down," which questions a relationship, Day is able to touch upon the subject of whether a relationship is over. Then he is able to switch gears with "Morning After," with its fun lyrics like, "Find out about the music/Is the CD jammed or upside down/I'd really like to feel you with dinner."

Day's CD keeps listeners on their toes. Australia is truly a testament to all good things Howie Day, and there's nothing more a Day fan likes than going back to the CD where it all began.