SUNFIELD (1999) by Damien Youth

"As is the case with Robyn Hitchcock and Donovan -- the two names most likely to spring to mind when you hear Damien Youth -- there isn't a huge difference from one Damien Youth record to the other. That would be a substantial problem for most artists. But, again, as with Hitchcock and Donovan, it's not such a bother in Damien Youth's particular situation, because if you like what he has to give, he delivers the goods with consistency and enough variety and imagination to sustain pleasurable listening. Like the somewhat more widely distributed CD Bride of the Asylum, this reflects his evolution from the lo-fi production of his cassette-only releases to a cleanly produced (but not at all slick) folk-pop/rock sound, deftly integrating other arrangements and lite-psych effects in addition to his usual voice and guitar. In its darker moods, the sense of sinister playfulness can evoke Syd Barrett (who, of course, is a common reference point for Hitchcock as well). In its lighter moments, it's playful and uplifting, as on the exultant "Traveling." Whatever the setting, this is consistently melodic and soothing, with the sort of gentle, solitary euphoria that typified a lot of British folk-rock/psychedelia of the late '60s and very early '70s, without sounding like toothless revivalism. It's not all sunshine and magic, either: Often placid on the surface, the lyrics frequently conceal ambiguity and disturbance that can be startling, as in the ode to his "fucked-up little dandelion girl." Then there's "Decorate," at face value another gentle, folky ballad, but one with sexually explicit lyrics that verge on the pornographic. Probably bound to pass unnoticed, even on an underground cult level, because of its limited distribution and lo-fi packaging, it's another notch in Damien Youth's bid to become one of the first belatedly discovered cult artists of the 21st century." - Richie Unterberger

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