Customer Reviews

From Every Sphere

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For his second release Ed Harcourt brings us yet another album full of beautifully written, fantastically involved songs that grow on the listener with every play of the disc. The arrangements and styling of each song are very carefully attended to, and the song order makes this a listening experience that the "random" button would only take away from. From wistful "Bittersweet Heart" to the atmospheric beauty of the title track, Ed Harcourt proves he is in a class by himself and comparable to songwriters like Tom Waits for his ability to go from haunting fantasy ("Ghostwriter" and "Undertaker Strut")to sincere emotion ("Metaphorically Yours") in his lyrics and compositions without breaking the continuity of the record, and without taking his subject matter to pretentious levels. We often throw the word "talent" around these days even when an entertainer doesn't actually merit it, but Ed Harcourt is truly talented and sincere about the music that he makes.

take a little bit of Tom Waits' jazzy piano, throw in some Morrissey croons and a little Rufus Wainright drama and you've got a fine mix! if that sounds good to you...then you should certainly try and get your hands on any Ed Harcourt album. From Every Sphere is his second record and it stands up pretty well. the songs are very well-written and full of nice little hooks and some beautiful melodies. the instrumentation is varied and the players are above exceptional. Ed's first record Here Be Monsters seems to be a more balanced feel and therefore has a stronger hold on me. upon initial listen From Every Sphere did not have the same kind of impact; it starts off well and good with a handful of strong tracks...but by the time we get to "Sister Renee" it we hit a boring patch that doesn't get the magic back until 4 songs later. the album length of From Every Sphere does come across a bit heavy-handed and seems a little too long for it's own good. some of the songs could have been trimmed down in order for the album to be more easily digestable...but when he hits gold, Ed Harcourt's music shines brightly.

Wunderkind Ed Harcourt evolves his murky style into a collection of studiously ramshackle, chamber pop compositions. Taken individually, there are some gems - especially the expansive and moody title track and "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed," a succinct ditty that's equal parts cabaret and neo-psychedilia, fueled by a wonderful bash `n pop rhythm. As a whole, though, Harcourt's limited vocal range and canned arrangements make the CD sound more like Jeff Buckley on prozac than the second coming of Nick Drake he's supposed to be.

For his second release Ed Harcourt brings us yet another album full of beautifully written, fantastically involved songs that grow on the listener with every play of the disc. The arrangements and styling of each song are very carefully attended to, and the song order makes this a listening experience that the "random" button would only take away from. From wistful "Bittersweet Heart" to the atmospheric beauty of the title track, Ed Harcourt proves he is in a class by himself and comparable to songwriters like Tom Waits for his ability to go from haunting fantasy ("Ghostwriter" and "Undertaker Strut")to sincere emotion ("Metaphorically Yours") in his lyrics and compositions without breaking the continuity of the record, and without taking his subject matter to pretentious levels. We often throw the word "talent" around these days even when an entertainer doesn't actually merit it, but Ed Harcourt is truly talented and sincere about the music that he makes.

For his second release Ed Harcourt brings us yet another album full of beautifully written, fantastically involved songs that grow on the listener with every play of the disc. The arrangements and styling of each song are very carefully attended to, and the song order makes this a listening experience that the "random" button would only take away from. From wistful "Bittersweet Heart" to the atmospheric beauty of the title track, Ed Harcourt proves he is in a class by himself and comparable to songwriters like Tom Waits for his ability to go from haunting fantasy ("Ghostwriter" and "Undertaker Strut")to sincere emotion ("Metaphorically Yours") in his lyrics and compositions without breaking the continuity of the record, and without taking his subject matter to pretentious levels. We often throw the word "talent" around these days even when an entertainer doesn't actually merit it, but Ed Harcourt is truly talented and sincere about the music that he makes.

For his second release Ed Harcourt brings us yet another album full of beautifully written, fantastically involved songs that grow on the listener with every play of the disc. The arrangements and styling of each song are very carefully attended to, and the song order makes this a listening experience that the "random" button would only take away from. From wistful "Bittersweet Heart" to the atmospheric beauty of the title track, Ed Harcourt proves he is in a class by himself and comparable to songwriters like Tom Waits for his ability to go from haunting fantasy ("Ghostwriter" and "Undertaker Strut")to sincere emotion ("Metaphorically Yours") in his lyrics and compositions without breaking the continuity of the record, and without taking his subject matter to pretentious levels. We often throw the word "talent" around these days even when an entertainer doesn't actually merit it, but Ed Harcourt is truly talented and sincere about the music that he makes.

While I was initially unimpressed by this album, at least on a ground-shaking level, I have since had plenty of time to absorb it on a much more personal.

"From Every Sphere" is like that. At first it seems like your typical singer-songwriter album, but after repeated listening, the brilliance and subtlety of both the lyrical and musical content are slowly revealed. Harcourt writes songs of serious depth, and his arrangements are layered and intricate extrapolations on the beautiful melodies.

Almost every song on this album is a classic, and it's a bit more upbeat and diverse than his first album. Stand-out tracks are "All of Your Days Will Be Blessed" and "Ghostwriter".

I like this better than Ed Harcourt's first effort. The songs are interesting, catchy, and highly enjoyable. I'm glad I got it months earlier than the US release, but now I'm missing out on the extra song and the video.

Unlike other reviewers who proclaim this album was uninspiring, i have to disagree. this is the best investment ive made this year, discovering him while i was in london ( being from the states) i was in tower records when i heard " watching the sun come up" a great rock song that has an addictive beat and sound, i still cant get enough of. of course, ed is an artist you appreciate for his quirkiness, whether it be his interesting use of orchestra and play on words in his lyrics, or his dark melodic tunes that could be compared to sparklehorse or songs ohia, but although some songs are dark, they are beautifully written and leave you wanting more. It did take me a few times to apprecite this album to its fullest...but that is the beauty of this album, to discover each song individually. his music is so sexy, dark at times, with beautiful melodies, his voice breaking at just the right moments, but also playful at times. He incorporates rock, jazz, soul, pop, and classical music all at once.
if you are a pacient listener and eager to hear a new sound,
try ed out.

In a MOR age of media created nobodies and a serious lack of a musical revolution like the 60s or 80s (perhaps that is why record companies are losing sales) gems like Ed Harcourt have to be unearthed from the general talentless dross that is the new Millenium. Ed's second album is a dark and sometimes awkward affair which requires personal listening rather than expecting your dinner party friends to tap their toes to it. Keep Robbie Williams for your guests and wait until they have gone home to enjoy real musicianship and crafted songs (no offence Robbie - you are the best that pop has to offer). His style may be derivative in some ways but then if you write a song that is listenable it has probably been done before and anyway who cares? At least it is not derivative of absolute talentless media generated rubbish destined for human goldfish with the attention span of 10 seconds (which incidently takes a whining record company to pull off - take note EMI you have dross and brilliance in your portfolio). Anyway back to the album, the darker pieces are for me the best, which means the title track takes the nomination for the most intriguing and is similar in melancholy and beauty to 'Wind Through The Trees' from 'Here Be Monsters'. Watching The Sun Come Up is the obvious single here and songs like this and EH's mastery of melodies set this album apart from the 'I love trainspotting' brooding of Radiohead and the very very disappointing and flat sound of post White Ladder David Gray. The sound quality borders on a rough, almost live take - the only thing polished here is the grand piano. In comparison, there is simply no excuse for the likes of David Gray to put out albums that sound like they were mixed by somebody with concrete filled ears - ask for your money back David, your sound/mixing engineer is complete rubbish.

Take a risk and buy 'From Every Sphere' it is no better or worse than Here be Monsters (if only a litle less melodic and darker perhaps) which is a complement obviously. EH is as good as Neil Finn at his best without the harmony of Crowded House. By the way I would give Robbie Williams five stars because he is a great showman and singer but he is not in the same league as EH but you can have both in your music collection (something for dinner parties maybe?).