This is not Joshua Radin's album. At least, that's the impression you get when you hit the play button. Radin's new album, "The Rock and the Tide," is like nothing he has produced before — and not necessarily in a good way.
Known for his "whisper rock," Radin's folk/pop music provides an alternative to the now popular alternative rock. "The Rock and the Tide" is Radin's third album. His previous two albums, "We Were Here" (2006) and "Simple Times" (2008), made him most recognizable for his novel voice, melancholic melodies and pensive lyrics.
Radin's ascent to fame started when shows like "Scrubs" (2001−10) "House," "Grey's Anatomy" and "One Tree Hill," among others, included him on their soundtracks.
In his newest release, Radin provides an album that either echoes his music from the past or that stretches him to the brink of alternative rock and pop, so much so that he seems almost unrecognizable.
In the past, Radin has been compared with Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, but his new album aligns him more with Ke$ha and Muse. "Here We Go" sounds like it belongs in the depths of a sketchy nightclub rather than in a quiet café or in the background of an emotional scene. He uses heavy synthesizers to back up a poor vocal performance and lack of real musical depth.
In both "You're Not as Young" and "The Ones with the Light," Radin adds an element of alternative rock with loud drum solos and electric guitar. These rock songs, peppered throughout the album, are not necessarily terrible songs in and of themselves, but they don't fit into the general tone of the album. It becomes clear that his iconic "whisper" loses much of its hypnotizing power when paired with strong electric guitar and boisterous synthesizers.
Many of the songs from "The Rock and the Tide" are interchangeable, monotonous "whisper rock" pieces that easily meld together. "One Leap" says almost the exact same thing as "The Fear You Won't Fall" from his EP "Unclear Sky" (2008), and "Think I'll Go Inside" evokes the same delicate quality of his earlier songs without the novelty of Radin's voice to propel and promote the song. The lyrics, "It's raining, I think I'll go inside," that make up the majority of the song, do nothing to make it any more listenable to.
Even "The Rock and the Tide," after which the album is named, is as forgettable as the rest of the songs. While many of these Radin−repeats are satisfying to the "Grey's Anatomy" fan base, those with slightly higher expectations will be disappointed by the unvaried, melancholic croonings on love and life.
However, there are a few songs that echo earlier Radin while adding a fresh angle. "Streetlight" demonstrates his positive progression as an artist — the poetic lyricism combines with soft melodic undertones to make an upbeat track that urges us to "let the wind blow … wherever it says we are supposed to go." This song is satisfying for a typical Radin fan — one who expects something folk−pop driven with a quiet passion that moves the song.
Radin created a few upbeat songs that capture everything great about his old songs while evoking a carefree, happy ideal. "Wanted" and "She Belonged to Me" both have a fluid quality throughout, adding variation that placates die−hard Radin fans. In the first song, "Road to Ride On," Radin tests his vocal flexibility with a more soulful tone and contrasts this with a steady and fast−paced drum beat to create an uplifting melody.
Despite the few songs that succeed in synthesizing the new Radin with the old, the majority of the songs on "The Rock and the Tide" are disappointing. Radin wavers between trying to stick to the good stuff and experimenting with new styles. Both attempts end in failure when his new stuff either becomes interchangeable with the old, or are merely comparable to the work of many less−talented artists currently on the music scene.
The string of bad songs leaves the listener begging for Radin's old successes by the album's end. Fortunately, Radin added two of his old songs to conclude "The Rock and the Tide." These familiar tunes were a gratifying ending but in no way made up for the disappointing numbers throughout the rest of the album. By ending his album with two of his most famous old songs, Radin may be telling us that his old stuff will be his only good stuff.
