The Record
Febuary 6, 1992
Fine-Tuned Eccentricities
Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians, Perspex Island (A&M), 3 Stars
by Barbara Jaeger
Packed with insightful, imaginative lyrics and buoyant Beatles-inspired melodies, Perspex Island is the best album Robyn Hitchcock has made since joining the A&M roster in 1988. Not coincidentally, the collection also is the eccentric British singer-songwriter's most straightforward, focused work to date.
In the past -- most notably since 1985's Fegmania! -- Hitchcock has tended to overload his lyrics with bizarre imagery and his arrangements with excessive studio gimmicks. Now, streamlining his arrangements and sharpening his writing, Hitchcock succeeds in making his songs more accessible (still leaving plenty of room for listener interpretation).
On the album, Hitchcock examines a world frozen in Perspex (plexiglass, in The United States) and looks for ways to bring back to life love, happiness, and other emotions. "Birds In Perspex", for example, is Hitchcock's plea to a former lover to rekindle the passion they once shared.
Perspex Island reunites Hitchcock with Egyptians Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor (the three started out in the early-'70s as The Soft Boys). The album also includes guest appearances by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck -- who lends his guitar and mandolin to eight of the songs -- and Michael Stipe -- who adds his voice to "She Doesn't Exist".
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