Ed Harcourt’s second album was released with little fanfare and hype, but it’s quietly nestled into many year-end lists. Anyone with an ounce of patience will delight in the pleasures that unfold from this grower. From Every Sphere also builds on the argument that Harcourt transcends the overcrowded singer-songwriter category and approaches the ranks of Bowie, Waits and Cave. Here the production is less flashy than the Dave Fridmann-produced Here Be Monsters. That’s not to say there isn’t a rich array of instrumentation. The arrangements are just slightly stripped down, with a grittier feel. “Undertaker Strut” and “Ghost Writer” pound and lurch the earth, while the silvery sweetness of “All Your Days Will Be Blessed” and “The Birds Will Sing For Us” shed the dirt and soar. “Sister Reneé,” “Jetsetter” and “Watching The Sun Come Up” mix striking melodies and worldweary, wise-beyond his years lyrics, revealing a deeper grasp of the mysteries and disappointments of life as Harcourt steadfastly tours, matures, and documents his reflections into his impossibly huge backlog of songs (reportedly over 300) for a 26 year-old. After mourning the tragic losses of Johnny Cash and Elliott Smith, don’t forget to celebrate the arrival of new colossal talent like Ed Harcourt.
September 17, 2025
Chameleons – Arctic Moon (Metropolis)
September 1, 2025
Lathe of Heaven – Aurora (Sacred Bones)
