Sounds like … sophisticated and melodic pop/rock that resembles everyone from 10,000 Maniacs, The Cranberries, and Innocence Mission to The Corrs, Dido, and Plumb.
At a glance … this compilation offers something worthwhile to both longtime and casual fans with a mix of originals, covers, radio hits, and rarities.
Friends, we gather today to pay tribute to something of an enigma in Christian music. After earning a reputation as one of the genre's most important bands during the '90s, Sixpence None the Richer announced their retirement in early 2004. Sixpence was plagued by record label conflicts over the years, resulting in a revolving door of musicians with only the core of vocalist Leigh Nash and guitarist/songwriter Matt Slocum remaining intact. It's also amazing to consider the legacy Sixpence has left with just four albums, an EP, and a short list of radio success. This is a band highly acclaimed for its heady artistry, yet best known for a silly love song and a couple of cover tunes featured in teen flicks and WB television dramas.
Nevertheless, Slocum and Nash proved a potent and influential alternative pop/rock combination in their decade together, and their parting gift to fans is The Best of Sixpence None the Richer, an appropriately unusual but generous 73-minute retrospective. The essentials are all here, most notably the romantic smash "Kiss Me" and the cover of The La's "There She Goes" off of the breakthrough 1997 self-titled effort. From 2002's critically acclaimed Divine Discontent are "Breathe Your Name" and a faithful version of Crowded House's signature song "Don't Dream It's Over." Christian music radio regulars will also appreciate the inclusion of "Brighten My Heart" from the multi-artist Exodus worship project, as well as the beautiful ballad "Breathe" from 1999's Streams recording.
That sums up Sixpence's radio success, begging the question of how to best fill the compilation's remainder. For starters, the producers would be remiss in ignoring the band's early career and other fan favorites. Again, the key songs are here with "Angeltread" and "Within a Room Somewhere" from 1995's This Beautiful Mess, as well as "Trust" from 1994's The Fatherless and the Widow. (It should be noted, however, that the CD's track listing is incorrect. The disc includes the band version of "Trust," and unfortunately not the better, quieter "reprise.") Another smart inclusion is the gorgeous, poetic song of surrender "Melody of You" from Divine Discontent.
From there, Sixpence's "best" would be pretty subjective. This band has juggled two audiences-those who appreciate them for their artistic inventiveness, and those who liked their rich sense of pop interpretation. The latter will be satisfied with the inclusion of the radio singles. Those that love Sixpence for more than that probably already own the few albums. If you prefer Sixpence's older stuff, you may want to seek out 1999's poorly conceived Collage: A Portrait of Their Best, which might be seen as a fair companion piece to this new set....
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