“Underwater Moonlight” by The Soft Boys - album review

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TJR says

The second long-player from the 4-year-old Cambridge band arrived in June ’80, at which time they lined up: Robyn Hitchcock (27, guitar, vocals); Kimberley Rew (28, guitar); Matthew Seligman (bass) and Morris Windsor (drums). Their brand of cerebral pop incorporated elements of folk rock, psychedelia and proto-punk, with results which were extremely pleasing to the ear. There’s a good-time jangle on the surface, paradoxically offset with darkly humorous lyrical themes of sex, death, hideous creatures and general paranoia. Amongst the many highlights are the fantastic solid-backbeat opener “I Wanna Destroy You” and “Insanely Jealous” which has me proclaiming “I can’t believe it’s not Howard Devoto”. As does “Old Pervert” on side two, a real low-down dirty blues rocker about a proper wrong ‘un who may well be deranged. I dread to think what might be in his fridge. If that’s a bit Ian Brady, it’s a case of out of the darkness into the light as the glorious “Queen Of Eyes” transports you firmly back into a brighter mid-60s world inhabited by The Monkees, The Hollies, The Byrds et al. There’s never a dull moment on this album.

The Jukebox Rebel
03–Dec–2016

Tracklist
A1 [02:52] 8.2.png The Soft Boys - I Wanna Destroy You (Robyn Hitchcock) Proto-Punk
A2 [04:10] 7.1.png The Soft Boys - Kingdom Of Love (Robyn Hitchcock) Proto-Punk
A3 [03:10] 6.7.png The Soft Boys - Positive Vibrations (Robyn Hitchcock) Proto-Punk
A4 [04:42] 7.4.png The Soft Boys - I Got The Hots (Robyn Hitchcock) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A5 [04:15] 8.1.png The Soft Boys - Insanely Jealous (Robyn Hitchcock) New Wave
B1 [03:44] 7.5.png The Soft Boys - Tonight (Robyn Hitchcock) New Wave
B2 [02:57] 6.4.png The Soft Boys - You’ll Have To Go Sideways (Robyn Hitchcock, Kimberley Rew) New Wave
B3 [03:52] 8.4.png The Soft Boys - Old Pervert (Robyn Hitchcock, Kimberley Rew, Matthew Seligman, Morris Windsor) Post-Punk
B4 [02:01] 8.7.png The Soft Boys - Queen Of Eyes (Robyn Hitchcock) Cerebral Pop
B5 [04:17] 6.9.png The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (Robyn Hitchcock) New Wave

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