The Daily Telegraph
September 4, 1999
Robyn Hitchcock
Jewels For Sophia (WEA)
by Clark Collis
Ever since his time with the eccentric Soft Boys, singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock has been typecast as someone uninterested in commercial success. As a result it is often forgotten quite how hook-laden his compositions can be -- it's only the lyrics that put a spanner in the works.
It is easy to imagine the general population humming along to any number of songs on Jewels For Sophia were they not called things such as "Mexican God", "Antwoman" or, best of all, "No, I Don't Remember Guildford". He makes it most of the way through the exquisite "You've Got a Sweet Mouth On You, Baby" before ruining everything with: "I embraced you in my coffin/And I haven't seen you since".
Fans will be relieved to hear that it is business as usual, with Grant-Lee Phillips and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck queuing up to help Hitchcock define his unique world of insects, gerbils and cheese.
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