CMJ New Music Report
October 24, 1986 (Issue 100)
Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians
Element Of Light
Pop genius, raconteur and possessor of one of the most truly bizarre imaginations making the rounds, Robyn Hitchcock is on the brink of becoming a progressive radio superstar. Element Of Light is likely his ticket. Rampant visionary non-sequiturs -- death, fish, mysterious lovers, whimsical characters and bathing -- are Hitchcock's calling cards; plus an ingenious melodic sensibility like John Lennon's, the stylistic similarities are more marked than ever on "Somewhere Apart". "Winchester" is a gentle ballad touched with airy beauty. Likewise "Ted, Woody And Junior" and "Airscape"; "If You Were A Priest" and "Bass" are harder, weirder rockers akin to Hitchcock's early years with The Soft Boys, while "The President", perhaps the LP's best song, is a biting commentary on Mr. Ronald Reagan peppered with succinct lyric gems like "When I hear the word security/I reach for my shotgun". A brilliant album -- what else is new!
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