Duncan Sheik

Duncan Sheik found fame far too quickly. His 1996 debut brought the world "Barely Breathing” and the ubiquitous nature of that song brought him acclaim, awards and a level of fame that he has never again managed to recapture. White Limousine, his fifth album, doesn’t really offer much in the way of surprises, something that is likely to delight his existing fans, although everyone else will be untouched by this unadventurous record. While Sheik may have been a more unique voice at the start of his career, these days singer-songwriters like him are a dime a dozen and he is not someone who stands out in the crowd. Musically, White Limousine is shiny, produced pop that is pleasant enough to listen to, although it simply lacks the lasting appeal that some of his previous work possessed. The most interesting aspect of White Limousine is an accompanying DVD entitled Yours, featuring all the individual tracks so that the entire album can be remixed and remodelled using computer software (which isn’t provided). This means that the best version of White Limousine will potentially come not from the artist, but someone else who takes the time to remove the sheen and add some much-needed roughness.