From Every Sphere [ENHANCED] [IMPORT]

Ed Harcourt

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Import
• Label: EMI Int'l
• ASIN: B000088NF7
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #374,960 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The biggest problem with being a prodigy is that, eventually, your talent stops being mentioned in relationship to your tender age, and your work is judged purely against that of your peers. Or, in the case of prolific young romantic like Ed Harcourt, that of the masters you seek to emulate. By the time he was 23, he’d already earned a prestigious Mercury Prize nomination for his major-label debut, Here Be Monsters, and a reputation for writing songs faster than Ryan Adams (over 300 and counting at the time). Released three years after this initial adulatory wave, From Every Sphere opens with a gorgeous slice of orchestral pop called "Bittersweet Heart." It would work well in a set by Rufus Wainwright or Badly Drawn Boy , but in melody and attitude it doesn’t add anything new to a sound Brian Wilson pioneered close to 40 years ago. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but hardly the stuff of musical revolutions. And that’s both the charm and limitation of From Every Sphere’s 12 songs: They’re all pretty good, but you could easily imagine them being done by someone else, whether it’s Turin Brakes, Eric Matthews, or High Llamas. From Every Sphere is tasteful and even rewarding at times; it just doesn’t expand much on Harcourt’s promise. --Keith Moerer

Product Description
Sophomore album, & followup to 2001's 'Here Be Monsters', for the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter. 12 tracks including the first single, 'All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed'. Heavenly. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Harcourt deserves the label of "talented", July 3, 2003

By	Laura M. Witkowski "emitecaps" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars More great songs..., June 7, 2003

By	Kara "margotdarko" (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews

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.