Ohio-native Radin worked with producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith) on Simple Times to create a sound that stays true to the integrity of his past work, but adds percussion and other instrumental elements to give the new music an edgier kick. The twist on Radin's trademark "whisper rock" is particularly apparent on the uncharacteristically up-tempo "I'd Rather Be With You," the album's first single.

Patty Griffin adds her pure vocal accompaniment to "You've Got Growing Up To Do," a track Radin notes as one of his most personal on the CD. Rising star Meiko joins him on the uplifting and charming "Sky."

"People ask me all the time about my 'whisper-rock' type of sound; all I can say to them is that the quieter my vocals are, the more an audience is apt to listen to the lyrics. And when I decide to get loud, I do it because the lyric calls for it, and if I do it sparingly, it means more each time," Radin said.

"This record represents the last two years of my life. It's about falling in and out of love, the world in which I live, my friends, my family, but most of all, it's a loss of innocence record; in writing these songs, I am trying to get back to where I started while also growing as an artist simultaneously - not a very easy task, but one that I will continue to struggle with for the rest of my creative life. It helps when people like Patty Griffin, Rob Schnapf, Lenny Castro and Greg Leisz jump on board. I still can't believe I was fortunate enough to work with them. This record is exactly the way I intended it to be, and I hope people dig it."

Simple Times Track Listing: