When it comes to love songs, it’s fairly easy to differentiate between the genuine article and a ham-handed fake (try comparing Etta James’ “At Last” to anything written by Diane Warren). 25-year-old singer/songwriter Ed Harcourt most definitely belongs in the former category. Harcourt is an inventive artist, who possesses the uncanny ability to tug on your heartstrings without turning your stomach. His sophomore LP, From Every Sphere, widens the scope of his gorgeously tender 2001 debut, Here Be Monsters, without losing any of that record’s delicate, unapologetic romanticism.
Sphere separates itself from its predecessor with some interesting, explorative touches. The deliciously creative “Ghost Writer” gives the impression of Ray Davies frolicking with Marilyn Manson, with Harcourt employing a dark piano bounce and a distorted, sarcastic sneer. “Undertaker Strut” follows in the Randy Newman mold of writing catchy numbers about morbid characters. “The Hammer And The Nail” is a soft, stripped-down waltz, and a U.S.-only bonus track that’s tough to find in the singer’s native England.
It’s always exciting to hear talented artists expand their horizons, but the best moments on From Every Sphere are still Harcourt’s bread and butter: his passionate, adorable odes to romance. Tracks like the opening “Bittersweetheart” and the starry-eyed ballad “Metaphorically Yours” are great examples of Harcourt’s emotional fertility; both find beauty in sweet simplicity. These compositions are far more than the sum of their parts, taking lyrics that wouldn’t fly as straight poetry, adding superb harmonies and singing the hell out of them.
Combining the adventurousness of Brian Wilson with the sensitivity of Elton John, Ed Harcourt slaps you upside the head with tales of true love, eliciting emotions that are heartbreakingly genuine. It’s the polar opposite of “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.”