Duncan Sheik - Whisper House [Album]

Sony Music Entertainment

March 20, 2009, 12:10 PM

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The first thing that strikes you about Whisper House is the well-crafted artwork. Ghostly caricatures on dappled backgrounds and a spooky logbook/storybook sort of insert set the scene for a slightly odd, melancholy tale of the sea. It certainly starts out that way, with It's Better To Be Dead beginning the proceedings and telling us that every character is "better off dead". Nice.

However, the melancholy aspect isn't what really defines Whisper House. It's a bit more like Sufjan Stevens - or, switching media for a moment, Tim Burton - in that respect, where gloomy subject matter is presented in such a way that it doesn't really feel desolate.

The majority of the songs on Whisper House are brilliantly constructed, with Duncan Sheik's vocals supported beautifully by Holly Brook, elegantly understated clarinets, horns and trumpets and often simple, but always effective, guitars and drums. All these instruments intertwine with an effortless embrace on songs such as Oh You've Really Gone And Done It Now and The Tale Of Solomon Snell, which, by the way, has some wonderfully eccentric lyrics.

The only drawback to such constant downbeat music is that it does get a little tiresome. That's not to say that Whisper House is never exciting - We're Here To Tell You, for example, provides a welcome break, even though it's only the second song on the album - or that the slow-waltzing melodies aren't consistently alluring, because they are. It's just that it can get a bit much, particularly if you're not in the right mood.

Interestingly, Whisper House supposedly contains sections from an upcoming stage musical of the same name. Considering that Sheik won a Grammy and two Tony Awards for his score for the musical Spring Awakening, it's probably worth a look if you get a chance.

Overall, a really good album to have in your collection. Just don't get it out at parties - unless, of course, you have some really depressing parties. Let's hope you don't.

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