Charming things come in small packages.
Possibly deemed somewhat late to the party, Joshua Radin didn’t learn to play the guitar until his late twenties, and it was another two years before his music career took off. But, take off, it most certainly did; after rather shyly playing ‘Winter‘, the only song he had ever written at that time, to his friend, American actor Zach Braff, Braff loved it and played it to the Scrubs show creator. The rest, as the saying goes, is history, as ‘Winter‘ and several of Radin’s subsequent songs were used in the television series.
In fact, with over a billion streams, a million records sold and his music featuring in over two hundred films or television projects, Radin’s numbers are all pretty impressive. He has a string of full-length albums to his name, and this, ‘though the world will tell me so, volume two‘ EP follows hot on the heels of the gorgeous, you guessed it; ‘though the world will tell me so, volume one‘. In late 2022, Radin packed his guitar, pen & notepad and set off travelling for inspiration and ‘though the world will tell me so, volume two‘ bears the fruits of those travels. Of that time Radin confesses, “it has helped my writing and my soul. I feel so much freer.”
Radins breathy, seductive tones, heart-wrenching lyrics, and self-deprecating style abound throughout this moving set of songs. True-to-life feelings and emotions make the songs reach deep, and the sound, well, if you mix Tom Petty with Paul Simon and Jack Savoretti, you will be just about there.
‘Over The City‘ lays bare the feeling of vulnerability “when the smoke clears and you wake up in the mornin… Now that sun rises over the city, everything is different somehow” The tender guitar and female backing vocals create a palpable tension. The subsequent ‘This One’s For‘ (“the people I love“) has enchanting, imaginative use of keys and a suitably upbeat rhythm showcasing Radins’ wide-ranging and free style.
Radin lays his sensitive heart on his sleeve with ‘Don’t Give Up On Me‘. After a long search for the right person, this tender song pleads “Don’t you give up on me, I won’t give up on you, it took me years to find someone to say this to.”
Similarly, ‘Neverland‘ is gracefully honest. Songs often have a way of meaning different things to different people and Neverland would seem to be a post-breakup song. It is truly heart-wrenching when the pain of letting go is expressed with the lines: “You, you’re the one who, I’m holding on to, everything I’ve done I’ve done with you, the one who knows me, now your fadin slowly, but what if I don’t want to let you go” So incredibly emotional.
Ending with the bright and jangly yet deeply personal lead single ‘Man of The Year‘ Radin acknowledges his reluctance to commit to relationships “And I know that I can’t keep running away, I keep running away” ultimately admitting and contrasting with the title that “I ain’t the man of the year“.
The musical accompaniment is delicately bold throughout these songs but never intrudes on the immaculate vocal. And, the stunning female vocal, alongside Radin’s, creates wonderfully harmonious depth and inclusivity. Together they make the spine tingle.
