Duncan Sheik (album)
The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 27, 1997, denoting sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.Kelly McCartney of AllMusic said the album is more than just the single "Barely Breathing", praising Sheik's songwriting for being "richly melodic and thoughtful" and Hine's production for giving the stories life throughout the track listing and multiple emotions that can be interpreted by the listeners, concluding that there is "something for everybody and a great record all around".[2] James Hunter from Rolling Stone noted how Sheik's musicianship emulated UK acts like Talk Talk and The Smiths, concluding, "He may be enamored of antique pop, but Sheik is never merely retro."[1] The Entertainment Weekly writer Steven Mirkin felt that Sheik's vocal performance was too restrained to allow for any "real emotional commitment" for the listeners to get out of the generic lyrics.[3] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau dismissed Sheik as a second-rate "matinee idol" and "a whiner stupid enough to fall for the depressed wacko" and "stupid enough to blame it entirely on her", in reference to "Barely Breathing".