Nearly Side Tracked
I've been meaning to write this review for weeks now and it nearly suffered an additional week delay after I saw the premiere of the new Christina Aguilera video for "Dirrty." That damn video is so ripe for snide comments that I nearly couldn't resist yakking about it this week.

However, being a die-hard Duncan Sheik fan, I mustered up my willpower and tackled his newest release Daylight.

Wussy Rock or Not?
In an age of Korn and System of the Down, Duncan Sheik might easliy be mistaken for froo-froo wussy-rock. In most instances, I would readily defend Sheik's brand of music as having greater depth and range. However, all my evidence would be presented in the form of Sheik's first three releases.

I absolutely LOVE his self-titled debut release as well as Humming and Phantom Moon. And while I like Daylight, I simply don't hold the same passion for this collection of songs.

Basic Formula Still Intact
Duncan Sheik is still an extremely talented songwriter who sounds just as great live and solo-acoustic as he does with elegantly orchestrated string arrangements backing him in the studio. Daylight is a solid album composed with this talent; it just isn't quite as cohesive or memorable as his first three releases.

On the whole, Sheik is one of my favorite artists. For the majority of his work, you feel like you almost know all the songs after hearing them just once. (I feel the same way about the lovely Kay Hanley.) As such, I definitely give Daylight a few thumbs up, in the grand scheme of things.

Go Spend Money
However (and don't tell his publicist I said this), if you're new to Sheik and want to try something out, I would definitely suggest picking Humming up first. Or, if all you know is his smash single "Barely Breathing," go grab his self-titled release.