Duncan Sheik
Whisper House
2009, RCA Vicor
pop, indie
Released on the heels of his successful compositions for the Tony award-winning play Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik’s newest Whisper House doesn’t seem all that different from a Broadway recording. Sheik’s storytelling techniques are spot-on and rather inventive at times; “The Tale of Solomon Snell” sing-song quality is a good example of how engaging Sheik’s lyrical stories can be. In fact, Sheik has stated that this album is an exploration of the songs used in his new play also entitled Whisper House.
Yet it’s these obvious Broadway tendencies that detract from this album. Other than some good lyrics, the songs are lackluster; in all honesty, one could describe all Sheik’s albums as relatively ‘lackluster’ but I’m trying to be objective. Essentially, Whisper House sounds like a play, and not in the good way that ‘rock operas’ or even ‘concept albums’ sound.
Great plus: Holly Brook of “Where’d You Go?” fame (remember the song by Fort Minor aka Mike Shinoda aka the dude who raps in Linkin Park) sings backup vocals on the album. Her voice is just great.
“Tale of Solomon Snell,” “It’s Better To Be Dead,” “I Don’t Believe In You.”
myspace, last.fm
Copeland’s You Are My Sunshine, Neverending White Lights’s Act I: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies
