After 1997\u2019s worldwide breakout hit \u201cKiss Me,\u201d a heavenly slice of irresistible pop that was heard everywhere, Sixpence None the Richer was poised to make the most of their success with their next release. But label issues delayed Divine Discontent <\/i>until 2002, and despite an intervening single, \u201cThere She Goes\u201d which was added to subsequent pressings of Sixpence None The Richer<\/i>, the group\u2019s new audience had moved on and the band subsequently hung it up. <\/p>\n
However, Divine Discontent<\/i> is the natural and worthy successor to Sixpence\u2026<\/i>, and ethereal vocalist Leigh Nash would go on to solo success (Blue On Blue<\/i>) and to inspired partnerships with Delerium (trippy dance hits \u201cInnocente\u201d and \u201cOrbit of Me\u201d), Los Straitjackets (a cover of \u201cThe End of the World\u201d), and a trio of songs with Japanese girl pop group Rin on their disc, Inland Sea<\/i>. A recent joint venture with Nash and the members of Delerium produced Fauxliage, the group and the album.<\/p>\n
But what about Divine Discontent<\/i>? With this disc, Sixpence not only built on their trademark pop sound, but also added some appealing rough edges, most notably distorted, jangly guitars. Yet the strongest material on the disc is still the band\u2019s lighter, radio-friendly tunes, including a cover of Crowded House\u2019s classic \u201cDon\u2019t Dream It\u2019s Over\u201d that almost <\/i>steals the song from Neil Finn and landed at number nine in the Adult Top 40.<\/p>\n
In the disc\u2019s leadoff song, \u201cBreathe Your Name,\u201d written by guitarist Matt Slocum, the band starts off with a very \u201cKiss Me\u201d feel, from the strumming guitars to Nash\u2019s pixie-esque vocals. But the lyrics address the serious issue of how to remain constant in the Christian life: \u201cSo many days within this race \/ I need the truth \/ I need some grace \/ I need the plot \/ to find my place \/ I need some truth \/ I need some grace \/ the part of you \/ that\u2019s part of me \/ will never die \/ will never leave.\u201d The answer to the how? \u201cI can only breathe your name.\u201d Nash may be the personality of the group, but Slocum is the main creative force. He writes the majority of the words and music, occasionally sharing credit with Nash or fellow guitarist, Sean Kelly, and also served as a producer. As a swan song*, Divine Discontent<\/i> leaves me, a longtime Sixpence fan, wanting. For every transcendent moment (\u201cBreathe Your Name,\u201d \u201cWaiting On The Sun,\u201d \u201cMelody Of You\u201d) there is a cringe-inducing counterpart, mostly in the closing \u201carty\u201d triumvirate of \u201cDizzy\u201d (ponderous and overlong), \u201cTension Is A Passing Note\u201d (high school lyrics), and \u201cA Million Parachutes\u201d (banal musically and lyrically). This may be attributed to the long time between the recording of the project and its release, because, according to fans, an earlier pre-release of Divine Discontent <\/i>included a vastly different set list. Or it simply may indicate the band tired of dancing the record label jig. [*The latest news from the Sixpence MySpace page is that the group is back together again and recording a Christmas album to release in October. Plus, they are hitting the summer festival circuit and allegedly cutting tracks for an EP to release sometime this fall. A new breath of life?]