I was prepared to dislike Joshua Radin's Simple Times. But the simple fact is that I didn't.
Folk-pop confessional singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen in these days of easy listening music dominating the airwaves, but Radin seems to have a little more going for him than some of the other cardboard cutouts the industry seems to produce.
Radin was sold to me as something like Jose Gonzalez or Damien Rice - melancholic, introspective. While traces of both artists can be heard in this album he struck me as more like fellow American Matt Costa - employing melancholy with a touch of hope in the music and lyrics.
This is expressed best on track five Brand New Day, with lyrics about seeing the light at the end of a tunnel - you know that place where it suddenly dawns on you that time really does heal all wounds.
Radin doesn't have a voice with the range and emotional capacity
of say David Gray or Jeff Buckley but what he does have is a sweet
tone and he clearly believes in the music he writes and sings -
"honest odes to life" as the press kit says.
Opener One Of Those Days is a pleasant start to the album and it is
immediately obvious why Radin's music features on television and
film (Scrubs, Garden State and Grey's Anatomy amongst others). One
Of Those Days is followed by I'd Rather Be With You and Sky and you
could imagine all three tracks accompanying a closing montage at
Seattle Grace hospital.
Towards the end of Simple Times the tracks do get a little samey but unlike when that happens on a stonking great rock album it is not a huge disappointment, it feels a bit like it's all just winding down, like it's time for another glass of wine.
Simple Times is relatable without being too cheesy, it is mellow enough to listen to when you're feeling a little depressed and sorry for yourself without making you want to wail, it is pleasant and doesn't demand great depths of understanding from its listener.
The press kit for Simple Times mentioned "evocative" but that's a little strong - it is not going to set the world on fire, it will not be hailed as a ground breaking record, but it's nice, simple folk music that you can't help but like.
