:: Joshua Radin - Simple Times

Joshua Radin

You may not have heard of Joshua Radin but if you watch some American TV shows then you’re sure to have caught one his tunes. This self-taught singer-songwriter has had his songs played on Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Bones, 90210 and even Home and Away. In fact Radin is so adored by American TV and its stars that Ellen DeGeneres asked him to play a song at her wedding. But while the endless list of TV programs that have played his songs may seem unrelated, they do paint a pretty good picture of Radin’s musical style and the themes that dominate his new album Simple Times. Like the dramas his tracks have been featured in, Radin’s latest offerings are at best melancholic and dreamy and at worst morose and moody. In ‘Brand New Day’ the optimism is easy to miss in the soft and tender acoustic guitar melody and whispered vocals, while in ‘Vegetable Car’ Radin comes off as a John Mayer impersonator on a country trip, serving up some very whimsical lyrics and a frustratingly simple clapped-out beat. But Simple Times is not complete folk/ blues torture. The strings in ‘Free of Me’ add a nice operatic feel to this aching ballad. ‘No Envy, No Fear’ is a passable listen too. Beautifully accompanied by acoustic guitar, the track is like walk through the most painful memories of your past. Unfortunately it’s all too little too late. A few great songs can’t save Simple Times from the blaring truth - that every track sounds the same. In small doses, Radin’s softly spoken vocals and slow melodies are bearable, even comforting. But when you’re up to the last identical song on an 11-track album you start drowning in acoustic guitars and painfully moaned lyrics - it’s unbearable.