British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock conjures some peculiar magic on his 2013 release ‘Love From London’, crafting a moving batch of eccentric and melodic tunes that rank among some of his best work. Hitchcock is a prolific songsmith who has been recording music under various incarnations since his college years in the early 70’s. After performing neo-psychedelia with The Soft Boys from 1976-1981, Hitchcock began recording as a solo artist and alongside his band The Egyptians, with the group landing an MTV and college radio hit with 1988’s “Balloon Man”. More recently, Hitchcock teamed up with REM guitarist Peter Buck, their drummer, and Young Fresh Fellows’ frontman Scott McCaughey to release three albums with The Venus 3.
The songs on ‘Love From London’ dabble in a variety of styles, from alt-rock to psychedelia, folk, pop and some more somber balladry. The foreboding “Harry’s Song” starts the set with dark and evocative piano chords and strings as Robyn seems to be processing a breakup, singing “Nothing clings to you like laughter/ All the Morton’s sea birds echo high above/…But I don’t know anything about you/ Anymore.” It’s a moving track, but the mood changes quickly on “Be Still”, a jaunty bit of pop with chiming guitars and a propulsive beat. Well known for his surrealistic lyrics, Hitchcock for the most part reigns in his eccentricities on this LP, opting for a catchier and more accessible sound that’s hard to resist.
The title is meant to be taken literally. On the whole, ‘Love From London’ is an album about love and its many forms and Hitchcock’s vocal are effective at conveying both the blissful highs and dreadful lows therein. The crisp tabla beats and hand claps on “Stupefied” perfectly conjure the buzzed feeling of falling in love as Hitchcock sweetly croons “There’s an answer to it all but/ You’re still mystifying me.” It’s a sugary sweet track, catchy and very radio friendly.
The volume gets turned up for “I Love You” and “Devil on a String”, more straightforward rock numbers that serve as a nice change of pace, and the rest of the album follows a similar pattern of charming pop tunes interspersed with alt-rock gems. Crammed with clever lyrics, catchy riffs and expressive vocals, ‘Love From London’ is an enjoyable and rewarding listen from first to last.
