Whisper House is the sixth studio album and second musical by American singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik. It was released on RCA Victor in 2009.
Whisper House | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 27, 2009 (U.S.) | |||
Label | RCA Victor (U.S.; CD) | |||
Producer | Duncan Sheik | |||
Duncan Sheik chronology | ||||
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Singles from Whisper House | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (71/100)[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B+[3] |
Paste | (7.9/10)[4] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Details
editThe album, Sheik's first in the wake of success from composing music for the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, contains selections from an original stage musical of the same name, with book and additional lyrics by Kyle Jarrow.[6] The world premiere of the musical occurred January 13, 2010, at San Diego, California's Old Globe Theatre.[7] Directed by Peter Askin, the cast included Arthur Acuna, Holly Brook, Kevin Hoffman, Ted Koch, David Poe, Mare Winningham, and Eric Brent Zutty.[8] Sheik cited influences from part of his childhood spent around Hilton Head, South Carolina, and recalling its iconic lighthouse and the ghost stories he shared there with friends.[9]
Release
editThe album was met with little commercial success, but favorable reviews. Review aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalized score of 71% based on 4 reviews.[1] The album's first single, "Earthbound Starlight", debuted via the "Pop Candy" blog on USAToday.com.[10] On Sheik's official website, streaming audio was made available for the album's first single, as well as its first and second tracks, in advance of the album release.[11]
Track listing
edit- "Better to Be Dead"
- "We're Here to Tell You"
- "And Now We Sing" (feat. Holly Brook)
- "The Tale of Solomon Snell"
- "Earthbound Starlight"
- "Play Your Part"
- "You've Really Gone and Done It Now"
- "How It Feels"
- "I Don't Believe in You"
- "Take A Bow"
- "The Ghost In You" (iTunes bonus song)
References
edit- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Whisper House". Metacritic.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Whisper House Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Murray, Noel (February 10, 2009). "Duncan Sheik: Whisper House". The A.V. Club.
- ^ Medina, Jeremy (February 17, 2009). "Duncan Sheik: Whisper House". Paste.
- ^ Heaney, C. T. (January 26, 2009). "Duncan Sheik: Whisper House". PopMatters. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 8, 2009). "Track List Announced for Sheik's 'Whisper House'; Concert Dates Added". Playbill. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (May 2, 2009). "Old Globe Will Premiere Duncan Sheik's Whisper House and Bricusse's Sammy Davis Jr. Musical". Playbill. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Whisper House". www.theoldglobe.org. Archived from the original on 2010-01-21.
- ^ Lyden, Jacki (January 24, 2009). "Duncan Sheik: A Troubadour Turns To Theater". All Things Considered. NPR.
- ^ "Earthbound Starlight" (video), Sony BMG Music, January 20, 2009
- ^ Duncan Sheik official website, accessed January 24, 2009