Album Review: Joshua Radin - 'We Were Here'

By Patrick Luce Jun 26, 2006, 21:26 GMT

Contrary to what Garth Brooks once sang, it never hurts to have friends in high places. Though Joshua Radin is sure to have found his way without them, it can\'t have done much harm to have gone to college with actor/director Zach Braff and singer/songwriter Cary Brothers, two of his more supportive schoolmates. The connections led to several appearances on Scrubs (starting with the Brothers-produced "Winter"), then on Grey\'s Anatomy ("These Photographs"), followed by ...more

Joshua Radin’s debut album ‘We Were Here’ (released on Columbia Records) is a blend of soft acoustic guitar, emotional lyrics and the singer’s whispery voice. It reminds of bands like Nickel Creek and Alison Kraus, but has enough originality to stand on its own.

The album was previously available exclusively on iTunes – where it saw success as the  #1 bestselling folk album and reached Top 30 overall after its initial release in February 2006. The singer’s live performances have made him a favorite emerging artist among discerning music fans in his native Los Angeles.

The album features a stripped down approach that sounds less studio polished and more real. The style works really well with Radin’s poetical approach to songwriting, and makes each song connect with the listener.

‘We Were Here’ starts off with “Sundrenched World” which sets up the pace and tone of the whole album experience – with Radin’s soft voice almost whispering to the listener. “Closer,” “Winter,” and “Star Mile” will draw comparisons to other “folk” music groups (such as Nickel Creek), but that isn’t a bad thing if you are a fan of that genre of music.

I was impressed with ‘We Were Here’ and enjoyed it as I continued listening. The album’s sound may not please all audiences, but Radin clearly has talent when it comes to writing lyrical songs. His style works well on the album and the soft approach makes it seem more personal.

My only criticism with the ‘We Were Here’ is that towards the end the songs tend to sound the same and it is hard to distinguish one from the next. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just my personal observation.

‘We Were Here’ is an album that I would recommend to anyone who likes the soft guitar folk style of music or anyone wanting to take a chance on a good new songwriter. Radin has delivered a strong debut album, and it is sure to win over new fans.

‘We Were Here’ is now available at Amazon for a July 13th release. Visit the music database for more information and a complete track listing.