Customer Reviews

Daylight

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I admit it. I'm addicted to the music of Duncan Sheik. This fabulous singer-songwriter continually grows as an artist and never ceases to amaze me. His thought-provoking lyrics and smooth vocals are both soothing and inspiring.

With "Daylight," Sheik has done it again. The mid-tempo "Genius," in which he declares, "I really blew it," kicks off the album with a tongue-in-cheek start. "Half-Life" is the tune from which the title was drawn; the beautiful violin arrangement engulfs you as the song builds. The heartbroken "Start Again" (Peace has lost / Its meaning) is a stark contrast from "On Her Mind," in which he wonders if he should have expressed his feelings to the girl he had his shy eye on. "Such Reveries," a lyrical piece that offers dreamscapes and escapism, is not alone among my favorite tracks on this album but one of my all time favorite songs by Duncan.

Halfway through, we are offered the first single, the bouncy and instantly catchy "On a High" (You're the sea / And the sky / And the blue that runs through it). Anyone having a bad day cannot help but be cheered up by this delightful song. Anyone who worries about what (rather, who) is being promoted on newsstands will enjoy the story behind "Magazines." Somewhere, someone is playing "For You" at their wedding - what a beautiful testament to love. "Good Morning!" reminds us that you cannot soar with eagles when you work with turkeys. "Memento" is insightful; your heart goes out to the broken girl he details in this moody track. Keep the album playing after "Shine Inside," and you'll be happily surprised by a hidden track.

I have forgotten what the "forward" button is for on my CD player. There is no track which should be skipped on this album. It plays like one lovely story from start to finish. It is emotional without being sappy, realistic without being pessimistic.

What are you waiting for? Hurry now -- it's time to see the "Daylight."

... and it continues to burn like the very best "sleeper" hits.

Blinding lead single and should-have-been-a-hit, On a high, is the first reason to get this fourth album from alternative pin-up Duncan Sheik. A recent No.1 on the club charts -thanks to dramatic dance remixes, High is Sheik's pop-iest, most radio-ready track to date -even bolder and brighter than his breakthrough top 40 hit Barely Breathing. However, there is a lot more than that on this 13 track set.

Every song here radiates with quirky beauty and Sheik's spirit for good songwriting. As he did with Jewel on her Spirit album, Producer extraordinaire Patrick Leonard has helped Sheik sound more focused with a stronger, bolder production that has opened the songs up without compromising Sheik's low-key, meandering style. The almost-whispered Memento, a classic Sheik track, would never have hit the radar had it appeared on previous albums but here it shimmers with soul thanks to funky beats and a playful guitar.

Inspired by love and bouyed by bright lyrics and the mostly upbeat production, Sheik has never sounded better. Saving the best to last, the brilliant Shine Inside leaves you desperate for more with it's ode-to-the-power-of-love chorus and soaring strings. Then hold on for the moody bonus gem Chimera, tagged on to the end of Track 12, and spend the extra $s on this Australian edition to get the dreamy, achingly beautiful fan favourite, Lost on the moon; it's worth it.

Infectious tracks like Genius (never came through), Start Again and Magazines are primed just right for radio play and, as John Mayer and Rob Thomas has proved, there IS a top 40 demand for good songs like these. Indeed, in a just world, Duncan would have his own Any Given Sunday. In the very best sense, this album is a NON-RISK disc; try it, love it as much as I do and tell your friends.

I'll admit I hated this album the first time I listened to it. I bought it because I'm a huge fan of Duncan Sheik and I liked "On A High" enough to want the extended version. Like a good, devoted fan though, I ripped the CD and threw it in my playlist and waited for songs to appear out of the shuffle. Sure enough, the first one was "Shine Inside" which is just a beautiful balad that really got to me; the guitar! the chorus "Well I can see SHINE inside..." It sounds gorgeous. For the next few weeks, that's the song I couldn't get enough of.

But a couple weeks later, I came back to the computer just as "For You" broke into the piano at ~1:50. That ten seconds of sheer gorgeousness had me hooked. The same happened with "Good Morning!" at the end where he starts with the "La la la la." I've noticed (with songs like "Wishful Thinking" and one on this album -- "Start Again") that Duncan Sheik is *incredible* at making those little ditties right in the middle or at the end of average songs that just make them unbelievable.

"Start Again" gew on me. "On Her Mind" I think is wonderful when it breaks into the chorus. "Genius" is beautiful at the beginning. "Half-Life" has a wonderful chorus.

My point is that all the tracks have their moments. Just let the album breathe. Accept Duncan as someone who's not trying to write this super duper pop "everything's a single" album and enjoy his commitment to originality. Adjusting to that takes time.

(3 & 1/2 stars) When Duncan Sheik burst on the scene with the ultra-catchy but over-played single "Barely Breathing" a few years ago, I made the mistake of dismissing him as yet another vapid teen idol with nothing new to say. I regained interest in his music after hearing that he was covering entire Nick Drake albums in concert, and was performing with the estimable Spooky Ghost. His CD last year, Phantom Moon, was a revelation -- quietly passionate, very tuneful, and great to listen to just about anywhere. The new Daylight comes close to being that good, but not quite.

To me the difference between this new CD and the last one comes with a song like "Good Morning," a somewhat over-produced track that tries to obscure a fairly slight melody with a lot of instruments in a very active arrangement. (Duncan produced Moon himself; this one was produced by Madonna associate Patrick Leonard.) Still, there are many pleasures to be had with Daylight, among them Duncan's apt vocal phrasing and the velvety tones of his singing. A few of the songs rise above the pack, especially the opening track, "Genius," where Sheik actually rocks out on the chorus!

I will admit that I lost interest in Duncan after his first release and did not pick up another of his albums until Daylight. WOW, I'm glad I happened upon his music again. Other reviewers have characterized this album as pop-oriented and dumbed-down to appeal to a wider audience. I'm not sure I agree. But, if that is true, then I must be part of that wider audience. I love it!! I think of Daylight as being an album full of tracks which have the same appeal as did the track, Barely Breathing. It is upbeat, but mature, and maintains a fantastic "groove" throughout. I really enjoy the flow of the album from one track to the next. If that makes me a part of the mindless masses - so be it. I still love the album!

It seems pretty clear, after years of trying to obtain some level of success, Sheik, although still not unfettered by his pursuit of "gold" has at least extended himself enough to get out of a rut of self-obesession. Although a lot of the sound is largely "pop", it has a clever and diverse side to it which, unlike a lot of his other albums, makes it interesting enough to listen to without straining to keep yourself from pushing the "next song" or "eject" button. I have this feeling that if he didn't try SO hard, and just let his creative juices flow a little more easily, he might actually get what he wants...

Aca en chile no es muy conocido duncan sheik, masivamente hablando.
Pasando a otra cosa, este album tiene una orientacion mas hacia el pop.
A lo mejor trato de hacer un disco que lo devolvera al publico mas masivo, pensando que anteriormente sus dos trabajos anteriores no les fue tan bien como el primero.

Pero a mi me gustan los tres albums anteriores incluyendo este.
La cancion que mas me gusta es Shine Inside y Start Again.

Si quieren salir de la oscuridad y ver la luz del dia no duden en comprar este disco.

Chao.

When I first got a hold of this album, I wasn't really sure what to think. Some of the tracks seemed just like the old Sheik material that I had grown to love, where others seemed like a whole new artist. At first I was a bit upset hearing tracks like "On A High," because it seemed like Mr.Sheik had traded in subtle brilliance for a less impressive, more radio friendly sound.

However, after listening to it a few times through I have grown to realize that this is by far my favorite release he has put out. Tracks like "Half-Life" and "On A High" may be a bit poppier then I was expecting, but I am suprised to find that they quickly became my favorites when I realized that there was a lot more to them than I initially thought. Honestly, "On A High" quickly became one of my favorite tracks of the year and I haven't found anyone yet who can resist it.

Don't be worried that the whole album is abandoned to catchy pop bliss though. Tracks like "Such Reveries" and "Good Morning" are slower tracks with a bit more complexity that remind me more of his earlier material.

Basically the point is, go into this with an open mind. If you have been a fan for a while, don't be scared away by the little changes, but realize that they are a welcome change and sound great. If you've never really gotten into Duncan before, this is the place to jump in because you are sure to find something you'll like here.

Great release.

The first time I heard Duncan Sheik's Daylight I was a little disappointed. Nothing really grabbed me other than the first single "On A High," which I believe to be one of the best pop songs of all of last year. It wasn't a bad album, there was just no bite. It lacked the sweetness of his eponymous debut, the fuller sound of his sophomore release, Humming, and Phantom Moon ... well ... was just Phantom Moon. I didn't buy the cd when it was on sale for $6 and basically received it as a gift from an ex who felt the same way about it.

Apparently the album must've grown on me. Maybe I just wasn't in the Duncan-mindset on the first couple listens. Some trigger was ignited however and I came to love the rest of the album. The gentle guitar picking that opens up the lead-off track, "Genius," continues in his traditional lilting singer/songwriter style before giving way to a pounding drum and electric guitar for the chorus and his voice goes from whispery soft to the closest Duncan's probably ever came to a growl. The next song, "Half-Life" is one of the disc's standouts as well (it's also the cut the album title comes from) as a ballady-single. Like "Genius," "Half-Life" has its soaring choruses of "Lately something here don't feel right / this is just a half-life." Many of the songs from Daylight build up the way these two tracks do, gentle guitar for the first verse, add in the drums or another layer of guitars at the second voice, and explode at the choruses. Sheik explores the lower range of his sweet tenor vocals on "Such Reveries" and I said before, but I'll reiterate, that I think "On A High" may very well be the best and catchiest pop song of 2002 and anyone who can get people to sing the line, "oh there never will be no conspiracy of happiness" is pretty tops in my book. And when he hits that high-note near the bridge. Whew. "For You" keeps it simple and acoustic as Duncan tries to convince his lover, "you're a beautiful girl and i want you to know it." "Good Morning!" sounds like a Phantom Moon track that didnt make the musical but got reworked for inclusion here but there's no way to deny the singalong capabilities of the "la la la we all sing la la la" bridge; and the hidden track at the end is the most perfect mix of folk and techno I've ever heard. Daylight may not be a great album, but it is at the least a very good one and good enough to be included on this list and near the upper half of it too. Who knows, maybe after a few more listens I might be convinced that it is a great album.

Without any of the predictability or blandness that plagues most of today's adult pop releases, Duncan Sheik makes a clear step towards the mainstream without sacrificing the artistic integrity of his last two albums (1998's commercial disappointment humming and 2001's side project Phantom Moon). Duncan has again proven himself a "Genius" of lyric and melody, and Patrick Leonard's production is pure ear candy. Sheik, like Joni Mitchell at her best, has found a knack for wrapping subtle yet profound moments of truth in four-minute slices of musical bliss that makes his spirituality easy to swallow. A good example would be the first single, "On a High", which practically lifted me out of depression this summer on its own. More highlights include the jazz-tinged "Memento", the string-laded and uplifting "Shine Inside", and "Chimera", a mysterious-sounding bonus track.