This is one of my favorite rainy day CDs and a strong debut release. Sheik is an underrated singer/songwriter and his work, combined with Rupert Hine's production resulted in this moody, intimate gem of an album. I can't explain why the album wasn't more popular, especially among hipsters with goatees at the coffee shop. People magazine once wrote that Sheik could be John Mayer's older brother. Sheik's songwriting is more consistent than Mayer's, but I can see some similarities there. There are also valid comparisons with Nick Drake, but I think that comparison has more to do with the folky feel of the music than anything else.
Sheik has gone on to win Tony and Grammy awards for his work on Broadway, most notably his writing for the show Spring Awakening. In 2011, he released a album of 80s covers. I need to check that out. [update: I did]
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #83 (April 19, 1997)
Tracks: The single Barely Breathing is fantastic and what originally caught my attention. Also good are She Runs Away, Reasons For Living, and The End Of Outside. I'm not a fan of the haunting November; it would have been better if placed at the end of the album sequence.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Rainy days. I encourage you to listen to this while quietly lying in your bed on a relaxed afternoon as rain softly hits the windows. After purchasing this CD, I immediately recommended it to a friend, who purchased it and, as often happens, he wasn't as enamored of it as I. I think he was expecting something peppier.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Reasons for Living (1997)
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