Duncan Sheik's self-titled debut arrived in 1996 carrying Barely Breathing, a song so durable it sometimes obscured the album around it. Heard whole, the record is quieter and stranger than its single: fingerpicked guitar, lyrics preoccupied with restraint and distance, and arrangements that leave the melodies plenty of room. Sheik went on to write extensively for the stage, including the Tony-winning Spring Awakening, and died in September 2026 at the age of 56. Real Gone Music marks thirty years with a remaster on sea blue vinyl. Street date: December 11.