The Herald
April 26, 2001
The Soft Boys
The Cathouse, Glasgow
by John Williamson
Last time The Soft Boys played in Scotland the venues were less-than illustrious and included some long-forgotten establishments like the Bungalow Bar in Paisley and The Rothes Hotel in Glenrothes. A 20-year interlude, and it looks very much like I am in the tiny minority of the audience who was not in attendance first time round.
In the interim, singer Robyn Hitchcock has made some intermittently excellent solo records, while guitarist Kimberley Rew was last spotted as a Eurovision Song Contest winner with Katrina And The Waves. Yet it takes only a few bars to realise that The Soft Boys sound far better together than they do apart -- a band whose chemistry defies any kind of aging process.
While many other bands in a similar situation would veer into nostalgia, indulgence, and self-parody, The Soft Boys remain musically and lyrically potent, thanks largely to the timeless quality of their songs.
By drawing on classic '60s and '70s Rock influences (think The Byrds, 13th Floor Elevators, The Electric Prunes, and Big Star), they manage to combine traditional song structures with the conciseness and energy of the Postpunk scene that they floated around the margins of 20 years ago. It would be unfair to criticise them now for being dated, as exactly the same accusation could have been made first time around.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, the songs still sound good and will do so in another 20 years. The staples of their most loved record, Underwater Moonlight, are all present: "I Wanna Destroy You", "Kingdom Of Love", "Insanely Jealous", and "Old Pervert".
With songs that good, the greying hair, Rew's Spinal Tap-style guitar poses and ill-advised fashion sense can easily be forgiven.
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