Sixpence None the Richer

Right now you’re probably thinking, “Wait, didn’t Sixpence break up?” Or “Hey, aren’t they that ‘Kiss Me’ band? Yes and yes. Sixpence burst onto the mainstream scene in the late ‘90s with that catchy pop love song and a few years later, in February of 2004 they broke up. Technically.

The last time we saw Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum together as Sixpence, they were circulating all over the radio with their cover of the Crowded House ‘80s staple “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” They had become that catchy ‘Kiss Me’ band fronted by that gorgeous blonde female singer. They had made themselves a name and a place on the charts with seemingly effortless pop song hits.

But then, all of a sudden … they quit. A lot of fans were puzzled. But they really shouldn’t have been.

The problem was that being such a “bankable” band leads to being pigeonholed into measuring up to your first hit. For Nash and Slocum, that wasn’t ever the point. And though they wrote some pop songs, it wasn’t all they were about. But that’s all they were known for. Expectations cause pressure, and pressure gets old. So they disbanded. At first for good, but they soon after realized that the separation wouldn’t last, because it didn’t need to. A few years later, a new EP has been sprung on us, and it’s about time.

The pinnacle of the band’s career to date was their highly popular self-titled album. That’s not just because it included the mega hit you’ve probably got playing in your head right now. The album showcased what is arguably one of the best collaborations of the past two decades: Nash and Slocum.

The two together seem to be each other’s catalyst for writing stirring, beautiful songs that can be pop and yet eerily ambient at the same time. There is a delicacy in both Nash’s elegant, dynamic-whisper of a voice, and Slocum’s intelligent guitar parts. The two exemplify patience in their writing, allowing the songs to form and build slowly, and accent the melody with other stringed instruments and horns. All of the songs on their self-titled album, even “Kiss Me,” illustrate this type of talent.

Their new EP My Dear Machine represents a return to their true form. They’ve had the time they needed to slow things down from the mile-a-minute spotlight and focus on the art they want to make. The EP works like a follow up to the self-titled album, and is complete with four of the best songs we’ve heard this year. They will leave you longing for another taste or what is to come. You can almost feel the sigh of relief breathed by Nash and Slocum as they wrote these tracks. The pressure to produce another hit has been lifted, but the music hasn’t suffered. In fact, it has been enriched.

The EP opens with the titular track. It’s fun musically, while Nash sings with a soft sarcastic tone, “I broke the trust and let you rust. So sorry, my dear machine.” Horns accent the main riff carried throughout. You can tell the band was having a good time writing this song that speaks to their return to the trusty old machine of creativity, which has taken them for so many interesting rides in the past.

“Amazing Grace (Give It Back)” isn’t an updated version of the classic hymn. It’s a sweeping praise song of longing to find what once made the desert of a heart flourish with praise. “Sooner Than Later” is a delicate love song, which proves to be the natural element for Nash’s captivating voice.

Where the album really brings Sixpence back to what they are truly capable of being is the final track “Around.” It’s a haunting piece that showcases the reserve that Slocum has perfected in his writing. It starts off earthy and Celtic and slowly builds to a smooth jazz rhythm, and blends both elements nicely. It’s got a consistent groove throughout with no real traditional structure. It’s a rolling, moving song that builds carefully in and out of its ethereal pieces. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous and speak of two people longing for another to simply “be around.” There are many applications for them. But consider who is singing the lyrics is one who has stood her ground on mainstream radio and television and still come out the other side just as firm in her beliefs. The song can speak for Nash and Slocum who, as they create the art they love, only really desire for God to be around to listen.

Nash and Slocum seem unaffected by their past in the spotlight. They seem ready to be right back where they were, focusing on faith and art. So the song is a powerful accent to end this preview of their return. But of course, as powerful it is, and as true as the message is, it’s delivered gracefully and intelligently from two artists who believe in their art and their God, and desperately live to show it. That’s in true Sixpence form.

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