Artist: Sixpence None the Richer
Title: Lost in Translation
Label: Released independently via Tyger Jim Records
While there are countless stories of how the shifting tides of the music industry have affected your favorite bands in the past decade, one still can't help thinking that Sixpence None the Richer—and their devoted fanbase—deserve some sort of gold medal for excellence in patience.
For whatever reason, the group that's still best known for its mainstream pop hit "Kiss Me," has faced more professional hurdles than your average Olympian. Thanks to the shuffling of key personnel at the labels they've been signed to in the past, countless Sixpence projects have been announced, only to be postponed with no clear indication when—or even if—the new music will see the light of day.
So considering it's been a decade (!!!) since the exquisite Divine Discontent released, it's no wonder that fans, not to mention the band itself, has been waiting with the proverbial bated breath for the aptly titled Lost in Translation.
If there's anything positive that can result from a slew of career hiccups, it's that it leaves plenty of time for gaining life experience. And that's precisely what makes Lost in Translation such a rich and vibrant listen. There's plenty of introspection and raw emotion in the songwriting, not to mention Leigh Nash's wistful vocals in everything from the album's first single "Radio" to the downright catchy "Should Not Be This Hard."
A treatise on the changing face of relationships, Lost in Translation is warm, evocative and deeply personal, qualities that more of today's modern pop could use. While highly listenable with a sound that somewhere between the unlikely trio of Eisley, Patty Griffin and Florence and the Machine, there are moments where the lyrics cut right to the core, particularly in "Give it Back" when Nash is yearning for simple faith in lines like "If you'll blow on the embers/The light will shine on my face/The streams will run in the desert/And sing amazing grace."
Considering she's been through so much both personally (divorce, the loss of her beloved father, remarriage) and professionally, it's not surprising that the band has so much to say. And without the considerations and creative constraints that often come with being signed to a major label, Sixpence is singing a new and very honest song, which ultimately makes the long wait for Lost in Translation all the more rewarding.
*This Review First Published 8/7/2012