The Stranger
March 15, 2001
The Soft Boys
Underwater Moonlight (Matador Records) ***
by Nate Lippens
The reissue of The Soft Boys' 1980 Underwater Moonlight is reason enough for jubilation among fans of skewed Pop. That it includes a bonus disc of excellent live recordings and precedes a reunion tour is the news that ratchets up the anticipatory glee. The Soft Boys featured eccentric genius Robyn Hitchcock, with Kimberley Rew on guitar, Matthew Seligman on bass, and Morris Windsor on drums for this album. The quintet drew on The Byrds' melodic Psychedelia and surreal lyrics that mixed equal parts humor and alienation. "Kingdom Of Love" and "Queen Of Eyes" demonstrate Hitchcock at the peak of his songwriting powers. The harmonies on the latter feel as if the band time-traveled from the '60s to the New Wave era without losing an ounce of infectiousness. Hitchcock's Syd Barrett hero-worship wafts through the album -- but with his own tough whimsy snapping its tart tongue. The stunning musicianship throughout shows the band at its prime -- though at the time, the album sold no better than previous efforts and spurred the discouragement that led to the band's 1981 breakup. Underwater Moonlight doesn't feel like a New Wave archive because it drew on a past that eluded its present and maintains its smart-hearted Pop sensibility even today.
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