The Rock and the Tide

iTunes Review

Joshua Radin strips down some songs from his celebrated 2010 album, The Rock and the Tide, making for an intimate recording. “Streetlight” opens by swapping out piano for an old wooden guitar, over which Radin’s whispery croons resonate with an immediate and upfront presence. As if the album version of “You Got What I Need” wasn’t hushed enough, this translation sounds like he’s cautiously playing with the utmost library etiquette. Without the snappy drums and the bouncing bass heard on the album, the threadbare acoustic session rendition of “The Ones with the Light” plays almost like a completely different song, as delicately picked arpeggios accompany Radin’s tell-you-a-secret singing style. Without the pulsing electro flourishes and pumping rhythm, this piano-and-guitar adaptation of “Here We Go” sounds less suited for the mall and more conducive to café dwelling on a rainy autumn day. Similarly, when the pedaling post-punk-inspired rhythms are subtracted from “We Are Only Getting Better”, it becomes a lilting serenade. Radin bookends with the soulful non-album track “I Missed You”.