★★★★★
Singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik has maintained a small but steady cult following, but he is best known for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". That song set the template for the kind of laid-back, undemanding yet inoffensive Adult Album Alternative mush that has been a significant part of FM radio ever since. In retrospect, it would have been surprising had Sheik not ended up doing a trend-conscious covers album 15 years into his career...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-01-28
★★★★★
On the surface, Duncan Sheik's Covers Eighties Remixed might fall into the "absolutely inessential" category. After all, as its name implies, this covers compilation is itself a remixed version of his 2011 album (wait for it) Covers Eighties. But dismissing this new collection does a disservice both to Sheik's talent and his creativity. For starters, his selection of '80s covers isn't obvious...
- popdose.com
2013-06-25
★★★★★
As a Tony-award winning and Grammy-nominated songwriter, Duncan Sheik could do pretty much anything he wanted and it would be not just good, but great. Which is why I was a little surprised to see that his latest album is nothing but '80s covers. Appropriately titled Covers 80's proves that Sheik really can turn anything into singer/songwriter gold...
- www.ink19.com
2011-08-05
★★★★★
Everyone loves a cover song. Ok, that's not entirely true, but for a performer there is no greater crowd-pleaser than playing a recognizable cover song in a different style--most audiences will cheer louder when their favorite artist, who they just dished out their hard earned cash to see, whips out a different rendition of a song by their other favorite artist...
- www.popmatters.com
2011-07-11
★★★★★
Destined to be remembered as a one-hit wonder, Duncan Sheik boosted his profile in a big way as the co-composer of 2007's acclaimed Broadway musical Spring Awakening. But Sheik's latest record, the awkwardly titled Covers 80s, does little to showcase the gift for compelling arrangements and memorable melodies that made both "Barely Breathing" and Spring Awakening such hits. Instead, the album takes some fantastic tracks from the titular decade and makes them outright boring...
- www.slantmagazine.com
2011-06-13
★★★★★
On his first overtly political record, singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik wants listeners to get angry and share in his pain. Unfortunately, he accomplishes that mission. Longtime fans are likely to get angry listening to this painfully mediocre and contrived album, which ranks as a true low point in the 36-year-old artist's career...
- www.soundspike.com
2010-12-07
★★★★★
The first thing that strikes you about Whisper House is the well-crafted artwork. Ghostly caricatures on dappled backgrounds and a spooky logbook/storybook sort of insert set the scene for a slightly odd, melancholy tale of the sea. It certainly starts out that way, with It's Better To Be Dead beginning the proceedings and telling us that every character is "better off dead". Nice. However, the melancholy aspect isn't what really defines Whisper House...
- hangout.altsounds.com
2010-11-02
★★★★★
Neat, neat, ultra-neat! Sheik's latest disc, the beautifully written White Limousine, comes complete with a separate disc that allows you to remix the album to suit your unique vision. Don't mess with it too much, though, because it's already very smart, thoughtful and eminently listenable...
- www.hour.ca
2010-11-02
★★★★★
In 1996, Duncan Sheik's single "Barely Breathing" secured him an enduring slot on America's bistro and spa soundtracks. But commercial breakthroughs have their downsides, as this reluctant dreamboat discovered when his subsequent ambient-pop experiments generated more puzzlement than buzz...
- www.blender.com
2010-08-22
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