Sixpence None the Richer - Portrait Of Their Best

Seduced by Sixpence
Sixpence is a band with heart, soul, musicianship, and intellect to boot! After I picked up their current self-titled album, I decided to explore this "greatest hits" collection to find out what I'd been missing. What a find! "Collage" is packed with poetic lyricism, driving guitars, Leigh Nash's beautifully expressive voice, rich harmonies, and, above all, Matt Slocum's inspired songwriting. Fans of "Kiss Me" will find similar-flavored tunes in "Field of Flowers" and "Healer" and will be surprised by the depth of other songs like "Love, Salvation, The Fear of Death" and "I Can't Explain." Well, maybe they can't explain, but I can. Sixpence is worth their weight in gold and we are all the richer for being able to listen to their music. What's more, this CD rocks and repays repeated listening with its multi-layered musicianship and symbolism. Imagine! Lyrics with double meanings that refer to faith, self-discipline, and God rather than irresponsible sex and predatory relationships. The cover versions of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Love Letters in the Sand" are added treats. If you were seduced by "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes" on the radio, check out their other work. Countless riches await you.

A bit of background...
Quite a few fans have posted negative reviews of this compilation, and they're right. Although a number of Sixpence's stellar tracks made it onto the disc, it's mostly a tired collection of stuff-found-on-old-comps.

R.E.X. records, Sixpence's former label, kept the band in hellish limbo for three years after a nasty bankruptcy. Unable to escape their contract, but lacking the funds to produce or market a new CD, Sixpence languished for years between This Beautiful Mess and their self-titled release. Veteran artist Steve Taylor eventually bought their contract from REX's husk, fronted the money to record their self-titled release, and helped produce the CD.

Of course, REX still owns the rights to Sixpence's older songs -- and when they jumped into the national spotlight with Kiss Me, REX decided to cash in. A quick compilation of older (Owned-by-REX) songs was thrown together and marketed as 'Collage,' hoping to snag new fans looking for older material. They even misspelled the title of the band's earlier single, Angeltread, on the track listing. Sigh.

If you like Sixpence, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of This Beautiful Mess. Collage is nothing more than a sad attempt to cash in....

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