From Every Sphere

by

Ed Harcourt

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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.