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Duncan Sheik

Duncan Sheik Brighter/Later: A Duncan Sheik Anthology Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Todd Page

I would certainly recommend the CD to my friends, its very easy to listen to, a CD that doesn't require a great deal of concentration to enjoy, but that, when focused on and listened to intently, isn't frustratingly simple or redundant. The lyrics are, for the most part, well written, a lot of times creatively thought out (I especially liked his reference to artists such as Bob Dylan and Jimmy Page among others in That Says it all). It's acoustically focused, which gives it a very "chillax" feel, something I like to call "Sunday Morning Drive" music. Unlike most best-of CDs, it doesn't just scramble a bunch of random hit songs on to one CD, instead it divides them for you in a consistent flowing manner between, as the title describes, his brighter, more pop-ish songs, and his later, more contemplative work. Comparing it to other artists, I'd say he reminds me a bit of Jack Johnson, with less of the surf styling, and occasionally more heavy themes. His acoustic style is very similar however. All in all, a very enjoyable CD which I have, and will continue to enjoy.