We Love The City

03/26/2001 9:00 PM, LAUNCH
Mike Lipton

Playfully twisted, like Robyn Hitchcock (if he would come back to earth) or the Cure's Robert Smith (if he had a sense of humor), the Scottish trio known as Hefner writes songs that try to make sense of everyday affairs. With simple, dialogue-like lyrics, Hefner songsmith Darren Hayman wonders aloud about "The Greedy Ugly People" (the antidote to R.E.M. 's "Shiny Happy People"?) and "The Cure For Evil" ("don't let my hands go idle when I feel this much for you") while lusting after a steady succession of girls. In the five-minute opening title track, Hayman cleverly alternates relating his affection for the city with a convincing ploy to bed his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the song builds to a swirling, neo-psychedelic ending. The tunes run the gamut from the quirky, raucous, and retro "She Can't Sleep No More" and the Beatlesque "The Greater London Radio" to a sentimental belly-rubber ("As Soon As You're Ready") and the horn-fired, '60s-styled rocker "The Day Thatcher Dies" in which Hayman proclaims "we will laugh the day Thatcher dies even though we know it's not right we will dance and sing all night." Once again, Hefner has delivered what is sure to be one of the most original releases of the year.