There's more to Sixpence than Kisses and Covers! (Contradictory Album Title Trilogy, Part 1)
Written: Nov 03 '02 (Updated Oct 11 '06)
Product Rating:
Pros: Good balance of "vertical" and "horizontal" lyrics, a few gorgeous songs.
Cons: A few less interesting ballads, high-pitched vocals are occasionally unflattering.
The Bottom Line: Not as artsy as their self-titled disc, but more musically accessible, and the lyrics are worth getting lost in. It should be well-liked both inside and outside of CCM.
divad23's Full Review: Divine Discontent by Sixpence None The Richer
Surely I must be dreaming. I hold in my hands tonight a brand new album from Sixpence None the Richer - an album that has been delayed by a few years' worth of record label red tape and other financial problems. It's finally happened, and part of me suspects that this new disc, Divine Discontent, must be a mirage.
I'm sure anyone reading this has heard of Sixpence by now - they're the female-fronted alt-pop/rock band best known for the insanely huge single "Kiss Me". I think I'm one of three people in the developed world today who isn't sick of that song. Their follow-up single, a cover of The La's "There She Goes", didn't fare so well with me - I was kind of indignant that the newly-recorded tune was chosen in place of any of the more lyrically intriguing songs on the band's self-titled album (admittedly, most of them weren't nearly as radio-friendly). But on the flipside, I was happy that a band I had liked for many years was finally getting some mainstream attention.
You see, I've liked Sixpence ever since they were a young band struggling to stay afloat in the world of Christian rock. They were always a bit of an odd fit - their early albums came off as a bit dour and depressing. Critics seemed to respect them, but few people seemed to "get it". After going through hell trying to get out of their contract with the quickly deflating R.E.X. Records in the mid-90's, visionary Steve Taylor gave the band a second chance by singing them as the flagship act to his newly-formed Squint Records - an independent venture with its eye on Christian artists who could be viable in the mainstream market without compromising their art or their worldview. The band's self-titled third album was recorded, and even though it yielded a smash hit single, the majority of the band's songs remained largely misunderstood or outright ignored. While Sixpence was working on a follow-up album, Squint encountered financial problems of their own and essentially fell apart, leaving the band in limbo once again.
Originally slated for release in 2000, Divine Discontent has finally hit shelves in the fall of 2002, thanks to some major label help from the likes of Reprise and Word Records. Forget about the multiple imprints that have their fingers in the pie - this new album, while being admittedly poppier than anything Sixpence has ever done, is remarkably cohesive, and well worth the wait. The band had plenty of time to work and re-work the 13 new songs presented here (savvy downloaders were likely beguiled by a few track listing changes and songs that got axed along the way). At first, longtime fans may be put off by the accessible nature of most of the album - after all, their last disc was a work of art that took many moons to grow on those of us who really like it now. But listen closer, and you'll realize that the revamped sound is the result of a few member changes in the band over the last five years, as well as the band's realization that they can record a catchy pop song without sacrificing art for commerce. Okay, so this disc has quite a few potential singles. Live with it.
What impresses me most about Divine Discontent is that it pulls off a difficult balancing act. The music is pleasant, and at times even moving, without being as strange (and sometimes drab) as a few of the tracks on the last album. The lyrics, while palatable to mainstream listeners, aren't shy about tackling themes that Christians struggle with... they just take a wee bit of mulling over instead of hitting you over the head with an overt religious message. That's always been Sixpence's approach - why change now? To believers, a few songs on this album will stand out as being strikingly worshipful - while others remain decidedly entrenched in the reality of dissatisfying relationships that gives the disc its title. It may not be the most original or artistic of Sixpence's works - I do miss the jittery guitar strums of their early works and Matt Slocum's cello playing at times - but where they experiment with new sounds and try to break out of being just another pop/rock act, they succeed with flying colors. The only real drawbacks are a few ballads that are less musically interesting, and a few places where lead singer Leigh Nash's voice sounds thin, or reaches for odd, unexpected notes. But as far as Sixpence is concerned, what I consider weaknesses could be assets to the next guy. Nothing here is worth making any major complaints about (except the fact that there are no lyrics printed in the booklet - come on, guys, you'd think five years would give you time to work up a better layout!)
Breathe Your Name Review my fate, and make a choice
'Cause it's nobody else's but Yours...
You may have heard the album's lead track on the radio if you're not one of those people that hurriedly changes the station the minute you hear Leigh's lilting voice. What appears on the surface to be a fluffy, upbeat love song is really a bit more than just a retread of "Kiss Me" - Matt's lyrics are somewhat vague, but they seem to deal with frustration and the need to surrender control, to "move my mind from behind the wheel". Ever dealt with a stressful day during which you barely had the energy to even pray? That's what Leigh is singing about here. Don't be put off by the dominant programmed rhythm and the glossier production - Sixpence manages to shake up the pop formula with a slightly out-of-place chord in an otherwise predictable verse, and some fairly high vocals from Leigh in places. I also like the calm piano interlude in the middle of the song. It may not snag as much airplay or be borrowed for as many soundtracks as "Kiss Me", but it's nice to see the song having some modest success on the radio.
Tonight Slower now, make life faster
Make your mind up for once this time...
Another likely single follows up the first - this pattern is very different from the moody trilogy that opened the last disc. This one's got a little more of a rock attitude to it, while keeping a jangly sort of bounciness to it, thanks to a stop-start strum pattern on the electric guitar. While it seems to be one of the more simplistic songs on the album, it's actually difficult to figure out what it's about, thanks to another set of fairly vague lyrics (it doesn't help that the first verse repeats itself). It seems to have something to do with decision-making, and being afraid to take a step when it's not clear where it will lead. Leigh does a pretty decent job vocally on this one, even backing herself up with some nice BGV's. And I like the sudden halt that the song comes to. Though I admit I'm a little put off by the lyrics at times, especially when she sings "Tomorrow is a brand new day, tonight". No major problem, though.
Down and Out of Time I want to tell you that I've called off the dogs
Your mystery is not worth being solved...
The album's first ballad starts off with an interesting chord sequence - it reminds me of The Benjamin Gate's "How Long", except acoustic. Leigh wrote the lyrics to this one (she's made a few notable contributions to the band's repertoire in the past), and they seem to be about a disagreement between her and a loved one (perhaps her hubby Mark Nash?) Rather than rehashing the argument, Leigh seems to be coming to grips with her own slow-to-forgive nature. "You're going to feel my pain, like it or not", she asserts during the chorus. Ouch - I can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy. I don't think she's proud to have that attitude - she's just admitting weakness, and I certainly know the temptation to make someone else suffer when I'm upset. In the end, she seems to relinquish the "debts" he has to pay and admit that she needs to do a better job of picking her battles, but the song doesn't exactly end with any clear resolution. OK with me - it's still early in the album, and everything can't tie up so neatly on an album called Divine Discontent, now can it?
Don't Dream It's Over In the paper today, tales of war and of waste
But you turn right over to the TV page...
I have to say, I'm glad that the band's last-minute cover tune was worked into the flow of the album instead of being lackadaisically tacked on at the end this time. Here, the band offers a fairly faithful rendition of the memorable 80's hit by Crowded House. It's one of those songs I had heard for years, and didn't realize who it was. That chorus of "Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over" really sticks in your head - I had thought for a while that this was a Kansas song due to the lead singer's vocal resemblance to John Elefante. Anyway, back to Sixpence's version - it shuffles along on an easygoing tempo, and it's pretty easy to sing along with if you know the original. I think it fits into the album well, since the lyrics take stock of frustrating situations we face in everyday life and point out their frivolity in light of world events. For sure, a poignant message in a post-9/11 world, even if some of its punch is lost in the low-key musical arrangement. I wish Sixpence had done a better job of transitioning between chorus and verse on this one - there are times when different pieces of the song seem lazily slapped together. But then, I kind of feel that way about the original, so I guess that's not really Sixpence's fault.
Waiting on the Sun It seems like my weakness is sometimes my only strength
And in my incompleteness, You get Your way...
Here's another song the band didn't write - though I believe this is the first time it's been recorded. This one was given to the band by Jason Wade, lead singer of Lifehouse, and their producer Ron Aniello. With that in mind, I can totally picture Jason's low voice wailing away instead of Leigh's on this one (can we hope for a duet someday?) The music has a slightly whimsical tune to it as Leigh begins to sing the catchy refrain of "I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time" - it reminds me of the melancholy nature of Lifehouse songs such as "Am I Ever Gonna Find Out" and "Somebody Else's Song". I have to say, I like this one better than those two songs. It has a stronger melody, and the bridge just hits one of those killer chords as it climaxes and falls back down into the chorus. Not surprisingly, the lyrics seem to be in line with much of Stanley Climbfall, as they seem to let go of a frustration with the inability to grow, realizing that it's up to God's timetable and not our own. Just my far-fetched interpretation - this is likely to be another single, and I'm sure people will come up with completely different meanings for it.
Still Burning A gift of a holy loss is burning out the dross...
Here is where the album starts to get a little meatier in terms of the lyrics. While Matt penned the words on this one, he deferred to guitarist Sean Kelly on the musical side of things - and surprisingly, the result is a gentle but captivating melody largely driven by Jerry Dale McFadden's piano. The lyrics sound like Matt had just finished reading a refreshing piece of theology that left him with a renewed conviction about surrender. It will probably alarm non-believers a bit to hear Leigh gently sing "When You break my arms, I'll take hold of You" - sounds like a depiction of a rather abusive relationship. But these words really echo a key concept in the Christian faith - "Though You slay me, yet I will trust You". It's a reminder that part of spiritual growth is allowing God to prune certain branches from our lives in order to allow for further growth and deeper intimacy with Him. Not an easy concept to fully grasp - I don't pretend to. But this song is a lovely encouragement in the middle of difficult times of loss, and I'm sure many discerning listeners will latch onto it as such. The only hiccup in the song comes during the bridge, when Leigh reaches for a high note that seems like a bit of a stretch for her. Again, not a major complaint, just a footnote.
Melody of You You're the scent of a newfound bloom
A simple tune I only write variations to...
It shouldn't surprise me that one of the best worship songs to come out this year is found on a "mainstream" record such as this one. While they've participated in overt "worship" projects such as Exodus and City on a Hill, it's quite refreshing to hear them come up with a poetic spiritual love song such as this one despite not being in a market that pressures them to do it. Flowing along on a gentle acoustic finger-picking pattern, strings and light percussion soon join in to back up Matt's delicate words, sung as only Leigh can. Much like Kevin Max's oddball praise song "You", Sixpence uses some artsy metaphors for God (including the line "A drink that will knock me to the ground", which might rub more conservative listeners the wrong way, but makes the song that much more interesting for me), painting Him as something refreshing and different, yet difficult to accurately describe. The band's mission statement has never been clearer - "This is my call, I belong to You/This is my call, to song the melodies of You/This is my call, I can do nothing else/I can do nothing else." It's over all too quickly as the song fades into a flourish of strings, weaving back and forth in place of the gentle guitar pattern until they finally converge at a single resounding note.
Paralyzed I packed his books, I left the office, went to tell the wife the news
She fell in shock, the baby kicked, and shed a tear inside the womb...
The most rocking track Sixpence has put out in a long while comes as jarring wake-up call after that lovely dream of a song, giving us only one hit on the cymbals for a warning before strong drums and guitars come crashing in (it's not that heavy, but for Sixpence...) This is one of the songs I was looking forward to the most, having heard a live bootleg of it and making out some rather interesting lyrics that seemed to confront the band's difficulties with knowing what to say when confronted about their faith. Actually, the lyrical focus seems to have changed a little - the song is actually from the point of view from someone who interviewed the band right after losing one of his best friends to the war in Kosovo. What do you say to someone who's suffered such a loss? Clearly this difficulty stuck with Leigh, Matt, and company. The band asks some tough questions of themselves in light of what's going on in this world, and it's gut-wrenching to hear that gentle voice lamenting, "Feels like I'm fiddling while Rome is burning down/Should I lay my fiddle down and take a rifle from the ground?" In some ways, those lyrics recall the wise sage Steve Taylor and his song "Smug". The band even gets in a self-referential jab, mentioning how this poor guy had to try and focus to do an interview that was essentially "about a song, three minutes long". Hmmm... I wonder which song that could be? Great tune, even if it's a little alarming to hear Sixpence getting political. (It gives them a good opportunity to plug DATA, Bono's initiative to fight debt and hunger in Africa, in the liner notes.)
I've Been Waiting So we had a talk last night about the heavy blow
That you dealt In fight, your back against the wall...
I have to say, this is the one place on the album where the music gets a little dull. Not as dull as say, "Sister, Mother" or "I Won't Stay Long", but still not terribly exciting, either. It's another one of those "difficult relationship ballads", from what I can tell. Again, Leigh seems to be struggling with the realization that she's hurt her lover, and now she's waiting for him to call her as if it's the "holy grail". The song does use some interesting metaphors - it's actually similar to something Alanis Morissette might come up with in one of her less catty moods. And it's got an interesting keyboard and guitar line that percolates through the chorus, but ultimately, it plods along a little too methodically for my tastes.
Eyes Wide Open Hallelujah, she's one for the money, two for the show
Time to go back to life, back to dreams without tears...
Another of Leigh's lyrical contributions, this is probably the second most aggressive song on the album, though it starts off sounding deceptively acoustic. Along the way, this strange ode to a worn-out girl gains an almost pompous air as the drums and piano pound away - it's a sort of whimsical lament, if that makes any sense at all. I get the funny feeling that Leigh might be writing about herself, and the seeming need to keep up with all the demands on her time in the wake of her newfound celebrity status. It's not my favorite track on the album, but it's still a soul-searching piece that's worlds away from the likes of "Need to Be Next to You", and for that I'm grateful.
Dizzy I'd love to be like David, threw his robes to the wind
To dance a jig in my skin...
Wow... this song just floors me. Forget "Kiss Me" - this may be the most romantic song Sixpence has written. Well, at least musically. The lyrics have nothing to do with romantic relationships whatsoever, but rather, they focus on a few Biblical characters, as Leigh sings of her desire to be as unabashedly in love with God as they were. I can just picture her deliriously spinning around with no concern for her dignity as the piano, strings and a lovely French horn paint the musical canvas with vivid brush strokes, crescendoing into a breathtaking six-and-a-half minute waltz that sounds like it could be the backdrop to Cinderella's magical night at the ball. The song manages to live up to its lofty aspirations without coming off as cheesy or heavy-handed, which is quite a feat. The generous instrumental section reminds me a bit of Jennifer Knapp's "Light of the World", actually. It paints a million different images on my mind, but perhaps the most vivid image is that of my girlfriend's smiling face as we hold each other close and slow-dance around the room. That's what this song makes me want to do... too bad she's in another state right now. :(
Tension Is a Passing Note Do I murder when I forget you from afar
Too drunk on the poison of endless roads and the countless smoky bars...
The last few songs on the album are a bit mellow... but really , nothing else would work after such a lovely song as the last one. Keeping the strings in the background, and bringing the acoustic finger-picking from "Melody of You" back into the forefront, this song actually reminds me of something Rivulets and Violets might have concocted (that band basically being a praise-and-worship reflection of Sixpence's style, with more emphasis on the strings). No percussion here, just Leigh singing a sweet apology to a lover who she's spent one too many days away from on the road. Strangely, she sees this "tension" of being apart as a beautiful thing, almost as if it helps to rekindle the flame in their relationship. Actually, Matt wrote the song (he was responsible for "Kiss Me", too), so it probably deals with his romantic situation, whatever that may be. Another metaphor pops up here that may trouble some listeners - the use of the word "heroin", but I think it's referring to all the stimuli that threaten to drown out the love that the couple in question feel for each other. Don't let that bug you - it's a pretty song, and just as the chorus says, the tension is "like a passing note, to a beautiful, beautiful chord".
A Million Parachutes I miss the warmth, and I miss the sun
I miss the ocean, I miss everyone...
Another drawn-out ballad in ¾ time closes out the record, this one taking on more traditional pop/rock instrumentation, and using two separate repeating riffs (one on the piano, one on the guitar) to lodge itself in your head. This one seems to keep with the theme of the previous song, painting a picture of a cold winter landscape, in which Leigh is isolated from the ones she loves. Still, there is a sense of purpose to her travels as she watches the falling snowflakes that are "like a million parachutes" and flips through her mental scrapbook. It tugs at her heart, but she seems to have a sense of her calling (which was summed up quite nicely in the tracks at the center of the album). It may not be the perfect "Quick, sum up the album before it ends!" song, and it may overstay its welcome just a tad, but I think part of the point of this album is to celebrate a journey, a relationship with God and with other human beings that is a work in progress, where some level of longing or dissatisfaction drives us to keep going and try harder.
Interestingly, Leigh made some comments in an interview not long before this album came out that rubbed a few Christians the wrong way. She wholeheartedly rejected the term "Christian band" (to be fair, she's maintained this position since before they had any mainstream success), simply wanting her group's art to be judged on its own merit. While I understand her fears of being lumped in with a lot of mediocre, lyrically un-challenging, flavor-of-the-moment bands, I also don't think it's fair of her to over-generalize and completely disassociate herself from the CCM world, a community in which she's played a fairly active role, what with her band giving a sneak preview of "Melody of You" at the 2000 Dove Awards, and participating in the aforementioned high-profile worship albums. Even more bewildering was her statement that Lifehouse and Creed don't have to deal with the "Christian band" tag. Um... last I checked, that was like the hottest item on both bands' FAQ. I won't hold Leigh's misunderstanding of her peers in both markets against her or this album, but I kind of wish she'd realize that there is good art within the boundaries of CCM, and that she and her band make great music that fits both into and outside of that boundary like few bands can - only listeners who are already closed-minded are going to write the band off because of the term "Christian band". Just my two cents on that little piece of controversy.
In any case, whether you've been following the band since The Fatherless and the Widow, or you're just curious to see if the band has something deeper than "Kiss Me" up their sleeves, you'd do well to pick up Divine Discontent. You'll come out with just enough slight discontent of your own to hope that you don't have to wait another five years to see what Sixpence creates on album #5.
ALBUM WORTH:
Breathe Your Name $1.50
Tonight $.50
Down and Out of Time $1.50
Don't Dream It's Over $1.50
Waiting on the Sun $1
Still Burning $1.50
Melody of You $2
Paralyzed $2
I've Been Waiting $.50
Eyes Wide Open $1
Dizzy $2
Tension Is a Passing Note $1.50
A Million Parachutes $1 TOTAL: $17.50
Band Members:
Leigh Nash: Vocals
Matt Slocum: Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, E-bow, cello, keyboards, vibes
Sean Kelly: Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, hi-strung guitar
Justin Carey: Bass
Jerry Dale McFadden: Piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Mellotron
Dale Baker: Drums, percussion
Rob Mitchell: Drums, percussion (joined after Dale left during the album's production)
I like that the band takes a moment to thank all of their past members as well, including Tess Wiley and J.J. Plascencio, who are probably kicking themselves for leaving right before the band got really big!
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