1999 was a breakthrough year for Sixpence. The hit singles "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes" were huge mainstream hits which helped earn them a Grammy nomination and a Dove Award for Group of the Year. Overall a fairly mellow CD characterized by Matt Slocum's jangly guitars and cello, and the beautiful voice of Leigh Nash. One of the nicest surprises of the late ‘90s was Sixpence None The Richer's breakthrough on the airwaves. After years of struggle in the Christian music world, the group connected with a wide audience thanks to its international hit
Kiss Me. But this lilting slice of folk-rock is only one of the highlights on Sixpence's self-titled 1998 album. There's a pervasive ‘60s British pop influence in tracks like
I Can't Catch You and
Anything - the guitars jangle and the melodies meander, with a hint of jazz undercurrents in the rhythms. If the music is wistful, the lyric often have a darker cast.
The Waiting Room, for instance, ponders the seemingly unbridgeable distance between man and God. And for pure pop pleasure, the band added a gorgeous cover of
There She Goes to a later version of the album. Sixpence None The Richer demonstrated that Christian convictions and secular success can go hand-in-hand. Just as importantly, the album is a consistent delight, charming on its surface with deeper subtleties down in its grooves. - iTunes
CD Details
- Release Date: February 10, 1998
- Record Label: Squint
- UPC: 080688551223
- Number of Discs: 1
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