CMJ New Music Report
July 19, 1999 (Issue 627)
Robyn Hitchcock
Jewels For Sophia -- Warner Bros.
by Steve Ciabattoni
The new Robyn Hitchcock album sounds like a Robyn Hitchcock album, but that's no reason to greet it with a "ho-hum". Having spent a few years working in a stripped-down, acoustic mode, Hitchcock has returned to the big studio sounding fresh and inspired, with a full band in tow. What makes him so infinitely enjoyable is that he seems to be trying to keep himself amused and entertained, doing the same for the listener in the process. To simply say that he plays Pop Rock is like saying that Salvador Dali painted with oils. Jewels For Sophia is filled with so many twisted lyrical and musical nuances that attempting to understand Hitchcock's riotous lunacy is futile -- it's also the best part of the ride. How else are we to appreciate the line "Somebody ring the cheese alarm"? The songwriter's ballads, which contrast with his Pop-y-headed rockers, are also engaging, if not disarming. "I feel beautiful/Because you love me", the Englishman notes in the most sincere and least sappy manner on "I Feel Beautiful". Producer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion and guest musicians Pete Buck, Grant-Lee Phillips and others help King Robyn polish this fine jewel in his crown.
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