Whisper House is the sixth studio album recorded by American singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik

Duncan Sheik

Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...

, released in the United States on January 27, 2009. The album is Sheik's first for the RCA Victor label, as well as his first in the wake of success from composing music for the Tony

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 award-winning musical Spring Awakening.

The album contains selections from a forthcoming original stage musical, also titled Whisper House, with book and additional lyrics by Kyle Jarrow

Kyle Jarrow

Kyle Jarrow is a New York City-based writer and rock musician. His plays include A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, Gorilla Man, Whisper House , Hypochondria, Trigger, Hostage Song and Love Kills...

. The world premiere of the musical occurred January 13, 2010 at San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

's Old Globe Theatre. The director is Peter Askin and the cast includes Arthur Acuna, Holly Brook, Kevin Hoffman, Ted Koch, David Poe, Mare Winningham, and Eric Brent Zutty.

Sheik discussed themes of the musical in an interview for the January 24, 2009 edition National Public Radio's All Things Considered

All Things Considered

All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...

, citing influences from part of his childhood spent around Hilton Head, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, and recalling its iconic lighthouse and the ghost stories he shared there with friends.

Holly Brook

Holly Brook

Holly Brook Hafermann , better known by her stage name Skylar Grey, is a Grammy-nominated American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Grey was signed to Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. She released her debut album as Holly Brook, Like Blood Like...

 (aka Skylar Grey) sings on many of the tracks.

Track listing

1. "Better to Be Dead"
2. "We're Here to Tell You"
3. "And Now We Sing"
4. "The Tale of Solomon Snell"
5. "Earthbound Starlight"
6. "Play Your Part"
7. "You've Really Gone and Done It Now"
8. "How It Feels"
9. "I Don't Believe in You"
10. "Take A Bow"
11. "The Ghost In You" (iTunes
    ITunes
    iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
    
     bonus song)

The album's first single, "Earthbound Starlight", debuted via the "Pop Candy" blog on USAToday.com

USA Today

USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

on January 15, 2009. A video for the song was released five days later. On Sheik's official website, streaming audio was made available for the album's first single, as well as its first and second tracks, in advance of the album release.