Joshua Radin, ‘Onward and Sideways’ – Album Review

There's a mile-long list of musicians who've used rock and roll to try and woo a potential love conquest, and although it might be something of a stretch to call Joshua Radin a rocker -- maybe "purveyor of plaintively pretty folk-pop" works better -- his new album, 'Onward and Sideways,' fits right into that rich tradition.

It also fits solidly alongside the rest of Radin's catalog, which is to say that it's tasteful, delicate, and ineffably gentle; there are some very good reasons why he's become one of the go-to guys for TV soundtrack producers seeking moon-eyed acoustic ballads, and 'Onward and Sideways' adds 13 more to the pile. Six albums in, he clearly has a strong grasp on what he does well, and if there's a knock against this album, it's that it hews completely to Radin's established sound.

On the other hand, it never sounds anything other than sincere -- which makes sense, because by his own admission, Radin wrote the songs that make up 'Onward and Sideways' from a Stockholm hotel bed while he tried to seal the deal with a would-be girlfriend. "I had met this woman six years ago and we were friends for the last five, but we started dating a year ago. At first it was long distance -- she was living in Stockholm and I was living in Los Angeles -- and she was very wary of getting involved," he explains about the record. "Essentially, I wrote this album to convince her to fall in love with me."

The end result is an inestimably swoon-worthy collection, one rife with the same hushed melodies and airy arrangements fans have come to expect since he arrived on the scene with 'We Were Here' in 2006. Radin's playing squarely in his wheelhouse here, and if its confines can occasionally be stultifying, it's hard not to respect an album that evokes a mood so carefully and confidently. If you're already a fan -- or just in need of some soothing tunes -- feel free to head 'Onward and Sideways.'

Joshua Radin 2015 Tour
Feb. 5: Boston, MA -- Wilbur Theatre
Feb. 6: Northampton, Mass. -- Pearl Street Nightclub
Feb. 7: Burlington, Vt. -- Higher Ground
Feb. 1Feb. 15 -- Cleveland, Ohio -- House of Blues
Feb. 13: Munhall, Pa. -- Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead
Feb. 14: Pontiac, Mich. -- The Crofoot Ballroom
Feb. 15: Indinapolis, Ind. -- Deluxe at Old National Centre
Feb. 16: Columbus, Ohio -- Newport Music Hall
Feb. 17: Cincinnati, Ohio -- 20th Century Theatre
Feb. 19: Milwaukee, Wis. -- Pabst Theatre
Feb. 20: Chicago, Ill. -- Thalia Hall
Feb. 21: Minneapolis, Minn. -- Mill City Nights
March 1: Seattle, Wash. -- Neptune Theatre
March 2: Portland, Ore. -- Roseland Theater
March 3: Boise, Idaho -- Knitting Factory
March 4: Salt Lake City, Utah -- The Depot
March 5: Boulder, Colo. -- Fox Theatre
March 7: Los Angeles, Calif. -- Fonda Theatre
March 8: San Francisco, Calif. -- The Fillmore
March 10: Solana Beach, Calif. -- Belly Up Tavern
March 11: Phoenix, Ariz. -- The Crescent Ballroom
March 13: Houston, Texas -- Fitzgerald's
March 14: Dallas, Texas -- The Granada Theater
March 15: Birmingham, Ala. -- Workplay Soundstage
March 16: Atlanta, Ga. -- Center Stage Theatre
March 18: Raleigh, N.C. -- Lincoln Theatre
March 19: Washington, D.C. -- 9:30 Club
March 20: Philadelphia, Pa. -- Trocadero Theatre
March 21: New York, N.Y. -- Irving Plaza