Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful piece of heartache, June 15, 2001
Sixpence to me, represents all that is worthwhile in the existence of music. Somewhere in Matt Slocum's little brain, there was a beautiful experience in life, something precious and rare - something most of us do not possess. Call it cultural knowledge or enriched intellectuality. I don't know. Maybe he just has a gene that possesses musical genius. "This beautiful mess" is so powerful, dynamic, and quietly loud (indeed it has its moments of release, such as in the powerful - and loud - climax of "Within a Room Somewhere" and also the frustration expressed in the opener "Angeltread."). There are so many parallels drawn within this little 45-minute library of music - the pain of humanity vs. the love of God, the pain of God's love vs. the pain of our understanding of his love. Look at the paradox within its title - it continues throughout the album. In a certain light, it teaches us (TEACHES - what a lost word within modern day music) the circumstances in life which one must go through before they realize that life without God is, indeed, a paradox. No amount of soul-searching or humanistic experience and knowledge will ever recover what a lost cause humanity will always be. Which is why, in our mess, things become beautiful - but only if we decide to take the difficult, painful road of faith in God. There are many stories in this album, only you won't hear them. What you will hear is the emotion, the knowledge, the life that was gained as a result of those stories. I don't know what inspired Matt to write a song like "Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death." What I do know is that that mountain (I would call it a gem, but a mountain seems more appropriate) is immersed in what I would call a real, deep, and healthy existence. Matt, as much as he claims to "hate himself" has lived what most of us wish we could simply understand - a life with meaning. That, in the end, is what "This beautiful mess" reaches to tell us - there is meaning, but you'll have to go through a lot of hell - a lot of mess - before you can look at your life and proclaim, in the end, "this was good. this was beautiful." Thank you, Matt and Leigh, for reminding us how beautiful music can be. Pages of text could not describe how thankful I am for your role in my life.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Sixpence CD there is., July 4, 1999
By A Customer
I have every SNTR album and this one is by far the best. It is a bit harder than their self-titled album, and more Christian-themed. The lyrics are beautiful- very poetic and deep. The guitar and drum parts are nicely arranged, so each track is a gem in itself. My personal favorites are Love, Salvation, the Fear of Death; The Garden; and Thought Menagerie, but they all just get better and better over time. If you first bought Sixpence just for the poppy hooks of "Kiss Me", then beware, you might not click with this earlier stuff at all; but if you appreciate the band for their beautiful music and thoughtful lyrics, you will like this.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What a surprise!, February 12, 2002
This album has twice the substance of the current Sixpence None the Richer album. While it lacks a strong pop song like "There She Goes Again", it more than makes up for it with deeply introspective lyrics and edgy guitar riffs. Leigh's vocals are breathy, haunting whispers which beg you to crank up the volume. Slap on the headphones, close your eyes and crank it as high as you can take it!
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