Album of the Day

Duncan Sheik's work in musical theater – he won a pair of Tony Awards for Spring Awakening – may obscure his albums, but the singer-songwriter's self-titled debut merits rediscovery. The 1996 Atlantic collection was recorded in England and France with producer Rupert Hine, and frames a haunting, Nick Drake-like intimacy with sophisticated arrangements ranging from acoustic guitar/keyboard settings to lush string orchestrations. “I want to combine an adventurous sonic palette with ... songs that people can sink their teeth into,” noted the performer, who more than succeeds on such tracks as “She Runs Away,” “Reasons for Living” and “Barely Breathing” (which earned a Grammy nomination and spent more than a year on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart). Refined but broadly appealing, the gold-certified DUNCAN SHEIK might just become your next favorite record.