Traveling a path that has led him from his native Virginia, to NYC and Los Angeles, singer/songwriter Sharif (Myspace / Official) has honed his skills as an emotive performer that sheds all inhibitions with the vulnerable and excellent slice of pop, Kisses & Lies.
The artist known as Sharif, tip-toes a fine line between saccharine and jubilant. That said, most of the 14 songs mercifully fall into the category of the latter on this, his third studio album. Gems such as twangy album opener “Far From You”, and the equally twangy duet with heart-throb hero Rhett Miller, “Dark Side of the Dawn”, are great examples of tunes that would fall comfortably onto a Zach Braff movie soundtrack. Most of the album’s tracks lay on a bed of acoustic arrangements, augmented with sweet harmonies and an even sweeter pedal steel that gives the songs an alt-country warmth that glows.
Lyrically sticking to various forms of love, Sharif doesn’t mind ripping his heart right from his sleeve entirely and simply offering it to the listener, as is. The lack of pretense that flows through the entire record results in an engagingly organic experience.
LISTEN: “Dark Side of the Dawn” – Sharif
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
5 Responses
Lol on the Zach Braff comment. This song lacked some sincerity for me, but not sure how to feel about them. I will have to catch some more of their music. Kind of reminds me of Stephen Kellog somehow? I can’t explain it. Cheers!
Admittedly, its a bit more light and poppy than i usually tend to go. I get the kellogg comparison, for sure.
hey, i would rather it be zach braff movie-ready than have it to be primed for a greys anatomy sndtrk…i didnt have a problem with the garden state sndtrk, now that i think about it..
Awesome! I’ve loved Rhett and the Old 97′s since High School. Didn’t know he recorded a track with this band. Love it! Definitely gonna check out some more Sharif….
This is one of my fav albums right now…Sharif has an amazing heartfelt voice….each song flows into one another which I love…My fav song on the album is “Another Wasted Rose” ….What an emotional song…..mad me cry the first time I heard it….He has a voice like James Taylor and Ryan Adams…If you like this album you should def go to one of his shows …He is AMAZING live!!!!!!!!!!!
I like the song, however, not sure it qualifies as a duet, it seems that Rhett Miller would get credit for back up vocals. It has a little Gin Blossom feel to me.