Ed Harcourt
From Every Sphere

Ed Harcourt has been compared to many artists in the reviews of his first album "Here Be Monsters": from Tom Waits to the Beatles.
Well, really?!?
Maybe they have exaggerated... If we were to play the same game of comparisons for "From Every Sphere," one might start by saying it's not Badly Drawn Boy, even though the melody of "Bittersweetheart"... is not Tom Yorke, even though his way of singing "Fireflies Take Flight"... is not Robert Smith, even though the decadent lyrics of "Bleed a River Deep"... is not Chris Martin, even though the piano opening of "From Every Sphere"...

And surely, a more attentive ear won't miss other references. But I stopped looking for them on the second listen. After all: who cares!!!
He's only 23 years old and has great talent, he's not afraid to mix musical genres: in the same album you can find electronic, jazz, grunge, soul and... incredible but it works perfectly!!! He's already composed over 300 songs waiting to be recorded, plays almost all the instruments present on the album, was part of a punk group, collaborated with Dave Fridmann and Gil Norton, and apparently, he's excellent live.

However, I must admit that before buying it I had some doubts. But Ed's voice singing in my ears "I'm aware that I'm speaking but the words come out wrong, so I'll put it across in a simple song... Never have I been part of any scene. Just remember this: it's just you and me...." (Jetsetter) overcame any resistance.
And again "If I could only see it straight I wouldn't be lonely these days, I'd drag my body out of this place...." (Bittersweetheart) Sigh... how romantic... mmhhh... too much?? Of course not!!! Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful!!!

By now it accompanies me everywhere... "From Every Sphere" is a rich pop album with a streak of masochism and melancholy in the lyrics (like only true romantics...) just what I needed to stretch these last days of winter lethargy...

"Let the sun break through the cracks within my room, the grey sky fades to blue, it will wash away this gloom... the birds will sing for us but we all die in the end, the birds will sing for us but we all die in the end, the birds will sing for us, the birds will sing for us, the birds will sing for us but we all die in the end [...] And that's a metaphor for the feelings that I store... I confess I love you so..." (Metaphorically Yours)

...zzzzzzzzzzzz...