The Buffalo News
July 30, 1999
Robyn Hitchcock, Jewels for Sophia (Warner Bros. 9 47433-2)
by Brian Rossiter
Buried in the quirky arrangements on Jewels for Sophia are the loony ravings of a middle-aged British quasi-psychedelic pop-rocker. In his crackling voice, Robyn Hitchcock broods with startling imagery about cheeses and space needles and an antwoman. The songs are too weird to find their way to mainstream-radio rotation, but they are sure to go over well among his cultish following. Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Grant-Lee Phillips of Grant Lee Buffalo lend their songcrafting skills to flesh out Hitchcock's sometimes spare melodies. The jangling, up-tempo "Viva Sea-Tac" is a sardonic take on the early-1990s boom in the Pacific Northwest. He serves up the flavor of Seattle when Grunge was the in-thing: "They've got the best computers and coffee and smack". There are a couple of hidden tracks, and the second one -- done with all the grace of Adam Sandler in his albums -- is about, of all people, actor Gene Hackman. The straight-ahead ballad "Sally Was a Legend" and the somber "No, I Don't Remember Guildford" are gems on Jewels for Sophia. Most of the songs, however, ring with little of the guts those songs do. Rating: **½
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