Chicago Tribune
August 8, 1991
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians Perspex Island
(A&M)
***
by Greg Kot
Unlike past Hitchcock albums, which looked at hapless creatures -- human and otherwise -- through the distorting lens of science fiction, Perspex Island is a lyrically direct and plain-spoken collection of songs about love and the environment. Although Perspex lacks the bilious edge of Hitchcock's 1990 solo outing, Eye, it's one of his most consistently engaging records; rife with lush harmonies, tidy melodies, insistent rhythms, and plenty of guitar jangle (thanks in part to frequent-collaborator Peter Buck of R.E.M., who was influenced mightily by Hitchcock's first band, The Soft Boys). The should-be hits range from the Brit-invasion style "So You Think You're In Love" to the wistfully gorgeous "She Doesn't Exist".
COPYRIGHT NOTICE