When Sixpence None The Richer teamed with Charlie Peacock for his 2004 release, Full Circle, it was a pretty firm belief that this was the last we would hear from the collaborative efforts of Matt Slocum and Leigh (Bingham) Nash. While the duo went their separate ways - Slocum to work with Astronaut Pushers and Nash to launch a solo pop career - they would later learn that what they had together, musically, was something special that they couldn't replicate on their own apart from each other. With that realized late last year, Slocum and Nash decided 2008 would bring about the return of Sixpence None The Richer.
A lot has transpired in the lives of Slocum and Nash since Sixpence originally disbanded, including a broken relationship for Nash which has become a topic for her recent songwriting, especially on last year's collaboration with Delerium, entitled Fauxliage. The songs on Sixpence's first release this year, a four-song EP entitled My Dear Machine, seem to be heavily inspired by Nash's heartbreak as well, with lyrics that are brutally honest and painfully real throughout. Nash's sweet and soft vocals display more of this heartache this time around, as the listener can really feel what Leigh is going through. But the brutal honesty, coupled with the freedom that no ties to a record label for this release bring, lets the use of mild profanity creep in as Nash expresses her spiritual frustrations in "Amazing Grace (Give It Back)," "I knew a song that played in me / It seems I've lost the melody / So please, Lord, give it back to me.... You're everywhere in every time / And yet You're so d*mn hard to find." While most going through the Christian walk can empathize with a statement like that - being able to relate to the times in life where God seems absent - it's unfortunate to hear that on a Sixpence None The Richer release.
Lyrical themes aside, musically My Dear Machine feels very much like a Nash and Slocum composition. While a song like "Amazing Grace (Give It Back)" has a bit of the haunting darkness that was felt on Nash's Fauxliage project, the songs "My Dear Machine," "Sooner Than Later," and "Around" fit right in with the later Sixpence None The Richer art-pop approach. Some of the songs combine the pop flair of Divine Discontent with the more indie feel of the self-titled release, but there's a distinctly more bitter feeling than sad or melancholy that washes over the songs....
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Friday, September 19, 2008
Sixpence None the Richer - The Best of Sixpence None the Richer (Squint/Reprise)
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....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
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....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Sixpence None The Richer - Divine Discontent
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Spotlight No longer Discontented
It’s interesting that the huge success of their self-titled album and the hit singles “Kiss Me” and “There She Goes” should also have contributed to the pain of the last few years. If ever there was a band who have paid their dues it’s Sixpence. It feels as though every record company they signed to have gone bust. Most recently the original set up of Squint Entertainment under Steve Taylor sank after they invested thousands and thousands of dollars breaking Sixpence into the mainstream. This follow up album should really have come two years ago maintaining the momentum of the success of “Kiss Me” establishing Sixpence as one of THE bands on the planet. Sadly record company wranglings and more disappointment have dogged the band. But finally ‘Divine Discontent’ has found its way onto the record shop shelves. I suspect that this isn’t actually the album they recorded as a follow up since I received a couple of pre-release tracks a year ago, neither of which are included here. However, one thing is for sure, this is a stupendously beautiful album and I’m glad that it finally escaped from captivity. Everything that makes Sixpence such a great band is in place here - poetic lyrics, bittersweet melancholy vibes, Leigh Nash’s distinctive vocals and let’s not beat about the bush here! Brilliant songs! With so many astounding moments, I confess that I just love the closing “Million Parachutes” with its lilting melodies and seemingly Coldplayesque atmospheres. At the other end of the album, the opening single “Breathe Your Name” starts with some strumming that is vaguely reminiscent of “Kiss Me” designed to give casual fans something they recognise but swiftly evolves into an uplifting groove and hooky chorus. As with “There She Goes” on the previous album, the band demonstrate a knack for choosing a cover version ripe for re-interpretation. This time it’s Crowded House’s magnificent “Don’t Dream It’s Over” that is reworked into something gorgeous. Another favourite is “Dizzy” with its timeless melody and beautiful strings and piano that evoke yet more beautiful yearning melancholy. The band’s sound has obviously grown since the last album and the stunning string arrangements and addition of more piano only enhance everything that’s great about the band. It’s been a while coming but it’s been worth the wait.
The Nashville-based sextet Sixpence None The Richer answer some questions.
Have all the delays in getting 'Divine Discontent' released been frustrating?
(Leigh Nash) It's been, at times, maddening and depressing. It's nice to be at the end of that now; something good happening makes the bad almost disappear.
What exactly is the meaning behind the title 'Divine Discontent'?
(Matt Slocum) A positive dis-ease, a restlessness leading to a doorway to something new and better. Without pain and other difficult situations, we tend not to grow and change for the good. A lot of songs we’ve recorded here have a fascination with the fact that God would strike you down, and then raise you back up. It’s our attempt to make sense of some of the suffering....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Spotlight No longer Discontented
It’s interesting that the huge success of their self-titled album and the hit singles “Kiss Me” and “There She Goes” should also have contributed to the pain of the last few years. If ever there was a band who have paid their dues it’s Sixpence. It feels as though every record company they signed to have gone bust. Most recently the original set up of Squint Entertainment under Steve Taylor sank after they invested thousands and thousands of dollars breaking Sixpence into the mainstream. This follow up album should really have come two years ago maintaining the momentum of the success of “Kiss Me” establishing Sixpence as one of THE bands on the planet. Sadly record company wranglings and more disappointment have dogged the band. But finally ‘Divine Discontent’ has found its way onto the record shop shelves. I suspect that this isn’t actually the album they recorded as a follow up since I received a couple of pre-release tracks a year ago, neither of which are included here. However, one thing is for sure, this is a stupendously beautiful album and I’m glad that it finally escaped from captivity. Everything that makes Sixpence such a great band is in place here - poetic lyrics, bittersweet melancholy vibes, Leigh Nash’s distinctive vocals and let’s not beat about the bush here! Brilliant songs! With so many astounding moments, I confess that I just love the closing “Million Parachutes” with its lilting melodies and seemingly Coldplayesque atmospheres. At the other end of the album, the opening single “Breathe Your Name” starts with some strumming that is vaguely reminiscent of “Kiss Me” designed to give casual fans something they recognise but swiftly evolves into an uplifting groove and hooky chorus. As with “There She Goes” on the previous album, the band demonstrate a knack for choosing a cover version ripe for re-interpretation. This time it’s Crowded House’s magnificent “Don’t Dream It’s Over” that is reworked into something gorgeous. Another favourite is “Dizzy” with its timeless melody and beautiful strings and piano that evoke yet more beautiful yearning melancholy. The band’s sound has obviously grown since the last album and the stunning string arrangements and addition of more piano only enhance everything that’s great about the band. It’s been a while coming but it’s been worth the wait.
The Nashville-based sextet Sixpence None The Richer answer some questions.
Have all the delays in getting 'Divine Discontent' released been frustrating?
(Leigh Nash) It's been, at times, maddening and depressing. It's nice to be at the end of that now; something good happening makes the bad almost disappear.
What exactly is the meaning behind the title 'Divine Discontent'?
(Matt Slocum) A positive dis-ease, a restlessness leading to a doorway to something new and better. Without pain and other difficult situations, we tend not to grow and change for the good. A lot of songs we’ve recorded here have a fascination with the fact that God would strike you down, and then raise you back up. It’s our attempt to make sense of some of the suffering....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
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....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
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....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Sixpence None the Richer - Sixpence None the Richer
This album is amazing and original. I have never heard another album quite like Sixpence None the Richer. There probably isn't another album out there that's quite as epic and theatrical, yet simplistically beautiful. This album is the album that defines who Sixpence None The Richer really is. If you're only going to buy one of their albums, this is the one to get. And that's not just because it contains hits like "Kiss Me," "There She Goes," "I Can't Catch You," and "Love," but because the whole album works together to paint a beautiful picture of the ups and downs of life.
The self-titled album has a very distinct and powerful sound using violins, piano and guitars to craft rich melodies. Matt Slocum has made a wonderful piece of art here. Even though Sixpence None the Richer shines through both lyrically and musically, it doesn't really do anything complicated; it's just right in every sense with Leigh's beautiful vocals perfectly matched by hauntingly wonderful yet delightfully simple melodies. It's as if Sixpence's career was leading up to this significant climax. I highly recommend this album to anyone who loves great music. You won't regret it....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
The self-titled album has a very distinct and powerful sound using violins, piano and guitars to craft rich melodies. Matt Slocum has made a wonderful piece of art here. Even though Sixpence None the Richer shines through both lyrically and musically, it doesn't really do anything complicated; it's just right in every sense with Leigh's beautiful vocals perfectly matched by hauntingly wonderful yet delightfully simple melodies. It's as if Sixpence's career was leading up to this significant climax. I highly recommend this album to anyone who loves great music. You won't regret it....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Sixpence None the Richer - Tickets For A Prayer Wheel
Tickets for a Prayer Wheel opens with two new versions of "Within a Room Somewhere," one a Radio Edit and one a Demo. Although "Within a Room Somewhere" is one of my favourite Sixpence songs, these tracks feel awkward when played right next to each other at the very beginning of the EP, and it probably would have faired better without them. Tickets also collects several b-sides that didn't make the cut of This Beautiful Mess, the best of which are "Healer" and "Dresses," two original Sixpence songs that are wonderful additions to their library, but just didn't have the right feel to fit on This Beautiful Mess. Following these two surprisingly good tracks are two covers, a delightful rendition of "Love Letters in the Sand," where Sixpence successfully combines their sound with a more surf-rock approach, and a slightly exhaustive yet artful version of Sam Phillips' "Carry You." Following these are two fairly good instrumental tracks, "Alisha's First Steps" and "Solomon the Mystic," the latter of which sounds strikingly familiar to their later hit, "Love." In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if "Solomon" was an earlier rendition of what would later become "Love." These tracks are nice surprises considering they are missing Leigh's signature vocals....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Sixpence None the Richer - This Beautiful Mess
Sixpense None the Richer's second album is one of their most notable. Although it was their self-titled album that really sky-rocketed them to success, it was This Beautiful Mess that really established a fan base for them and is considered by many fans to this day to be their best album. The deep, dreamy music along with Leigh's silky smooth vocals and Matt Slocum's deep songwriting that made this album a musical journey not to be forgotten. Almost every song on this album is amazing in its own right with one great song after another. My only complaint about this album is that the unique melancholy nature of the album gets a bit tiresome after a dozen songs, but the album's unique musical style is what gives it its charm. The band truly found something that works with this album, it just seems like they used what works a little too much. However, with almost every song being an epic musical movement, you can't go wrong with this Sixpence classic....
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
Continue Reading at this Christian Music Review
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