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It will only take you only two Simple Times tracks to realize if Joshua Radin’s music works for you or not. It with either sound sappy, boring and contrived or so pure and effortless you’ll have a hard time believing he’s essentially an industry beginner.

Joshua Radin’s sounds are the breathy whispers from a lovelorn, introspective minstrel. You can imagine him wooing the girl from the castle or lamenting not having been able to do so. His transparent vulnerability is Radin’s strength and possibly his weakness.

His rise to glory is the stuff of inspirational legend. A screenwriter by trade, he managed to capitalize on a connection to his old college buddy Zach Braff, who helped him get his music heard on numerous TV shows, starting with Scrubs and eventually leading to others like Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill and American Idol. His soft introspective tone, showered in melancholy provided the emotional perfect backdrop for what people like to watch – and to hear – in today’s viewing culture.

But therein lies the rub. Radin is so good at this – at providing musical accompaniment to television’s visuals – you get the distinct feeling he writes with that goal solely in mind. He’s so adept, so soon in his career, he’s quickly become the John Williams of the small screen.

And he’s already garnering so much positive press his rise to superstardom seems almost imminent, almost unstoppable. Assisting him in this sophomore effort are such industry luminaries as Patty Griffin and Meiko.

His musical talent, without a doubt, is formidable. His songs are so nuanced, so elegantly layered; you can see and feel his deft hands at work. Radin simply knows his craft. He knows his forte and plays to it.

Brand New Day is about as hopeful and optimistic as you can get in a song and They Bring Me to You is a meandering duet (with Erin McCarley) so true to who Radin wants to be portrayed – whether that’s to his betterment or his detriment. Vulnerability, as mentioned, is his high card and he plays it often.

The overwhelming feeling you’re left with after listening to Simple Times is how friendly and accessible this music is to the masses. You can’t help but imagine each and every song on a soundtrack and as background to a love affair, either onscreen or off. Perhaps it’s no simple coincidence given Radin’s original career choice. Either way he saw his destiny as much visually as he now does aurally. Whether he made the right choice is really left to you to decide.

Joshua Radin – Brand New Day
Joshua Radin – Friend Like You

Tags: album