Intelligencer Journal
October 22, 1999
The Soft Boys Quietly Raised A Genre From Dead
by Jed Reinert
Over the course of the '70s, as bloated Arena Rock and nihilistic Punk rose to prominence on opposite ends of Rock's spectrum, the breed of psychedelic, melodic Guitar Pop espoused by such '60s acts as The Byrds fell completely out of fashion.
But after a few years, it came back in spades, via dozens of '60s-inspired guitar bands.
And the single album that launched many of those bands, including, by their own admissions, R.E.M. and the Replacements, was The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight.
Released in 1980, it's not only a brilliant record in its own right, but also provides a neat look into the early days of British oddball Robyn Hitchcock's career.
Hitchcock, who's still making records 20 years later, was The Soft Boys' singer, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter.
His vocal style was much the same then as it is now, though a bit more youthfully exuberant. Hitchcock has always been equal parts John Lennon and Syd Barrett, no doubt contributing to his reputation as a loon. His lyrics here display his trademark Dadaist goofiness, but they're delivered with a conviction absent from much of his later work.
This album's real treat, though, is the guitar playing. Hitchcock's usual jangly strum is augmented tremendously by lead guitarist Kimberley Rew. Rew has an amazing ability to fuse chiming Psychedelia with crunching Punk, and his unusual textures make Hitchcock's songs come alive.
Nearly every track is a winner, from the raucous "I Wanna Destroy You" to the jittery "Insanely Jealous" to the dreamily melodic "Queen of Eyes".
Listening to this, it's easy to see why Hitchcock developed such a large cult following and sustained it over the course of 15 solo albums. His songwriting is really accomplished -- he doesn't have the greatest singing voice, but he's got a wonderful ear for melody, and he and the other Soft Boys harmonize quite well.
After Underwater Moonlight, the band's second full-length album, The Soft Boys packed it in. While Hithcock embarked on his solo career, taking the band's rhythm section with him, Rew joined up with mediocre '80s popsters Katrina And The Waves.
And, quietly, about a thousand guitar bands formed, bringing '60s Psychedelia back from the dead.
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