# Simple Times

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***Simple Times*** is the second [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by American folk musician [Joshua Radin](/source/Joshua_Radin). It was released on September 9, 2008 on [iTunes](/source/ITunes_Store) and in stores on September 30, 2008. It has a release date of 12 April 2010 on the UK iTunes Store. The UK release features radio edits of "One Of Those Days", "[I'd Rather Be with You](/source/I'd_Rather_Be_with_You)", and "Brand New Day", all slightly shorter than the U.S. album versions.

## Music video

A music video for the song "[I'd Rather Be with You](/source/I'd_Rather_Be_with_You)" was released in November 2008, directed by [Zach Braff](/source/Zach_Braff). A second video for "I'd Rather Be with You" starring [Hayden Panettiere](/source/Hayden_Panettiere) was released in early 2010.

## Track listing

1. "One of Those Days" - 3:04
1. "[I'd Rather Be with You](/source/I'd_Rather_Be_with_You)" - 2:49
1. "Sky" (feat. [Meiko](/source/Meiko_(singer))) - 3:30
1. "Friend Like You" - 2:20
1. "Brand New Day" - 3:31
1. "They Bring Me to You" (feat. [Erin McCarley](/source/Erin_McCarley)) - 3:58
1. "Vegetable Car" - 3:02
1. "Free of Me" - 2:35
1. "You Got Growin' Up to Do" (feat. [Patty Griffin](/source/Patty_Griffin)) - 2:55
1. "We Are Okay" - 2:41
1. "No Envy, No Fear" - 3:22

## Reception

### Critical

[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) reviewer Andrew Leahey gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "a warm, easygoing album geared for Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings," but noting that "Radin still struggles with the balance between mood and melody."[1] Giving the album two-and-a-half stars out of four, [Chuck Arnold](/source/Chuck_Arnold) with *[People](/source/People_(magazine))* magazine said that Radin "delivers on modest pleasures like 'I'd Rather Be with You,' even if he never really blows you away."[2] The [BBC](/source/BBC) also offered a mixed review: "Despite its accomplished shine, too much of Simple Times follows a terribly predictable path, to the extent where Radin’s words fade into the background hubbub of one’s daily grind."[3] [Paste](/source/Paste_(magazine)) magazinegave the album a 6.8 out of 10, noting that "it sticks to his formula of pensive, vaguely introspective lyrics echoed through his hushed, whisper-thin voice, peppered with wistful piano and string arrangements," and calling "They Bring Me To You" a "stunning standout, with pitch-perfect vocals from [Erin McCarley](/source/Erin_McCarley) that melt in tune with Radin's."[4]

### Charts

The album debuted at number 34 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), selling about 14,000 copies in its first week.[5]

Chart (2008) Peak position US Billboard 200 34 Chart (2010) Peak position UK Albums Chart 9

## References

1. ["Simple Times - Joshua Radin | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/simple-times-mw0000799930). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*

1. Arnold, Chuck (November 24, 2008), "QUICK CUTS".*People*. **70** (21):47

1. ["BBC - Music - Review of Joshua Radin - Simple Times"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xzwx/)

1. ["Joshua Radin: Simple Times"](https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/01/joshua-radin-simple-times.html). 17 September 2008.

1. Hasty, Katie. ["Metallica Scores Fifth Straight No. 1 Album"](https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1044058/metallica-scores-fifth-straight-no-1-album). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. September 17, 2008.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simple Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Times) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Times?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.