It seems that Alex Highton hasn’t always been happy. But his third album – an eclectic range of styles and ideas blended seamlessly with a keen ear for a pop tune defined by easy, buoyant melodies – should give him plenty to smile about. The clever and quirky but crisp songwiting of Talking Heads makes for an obvious but necessary touchstone, as do the meticulously-arranged pop stylings of ELO.
Even the light, shuffling jazz groove of ‘Voices’ is forgivable in context of an album that’s brimming with variety and subtle hooks. It’s absolutely not my bag, and ordinarily, I’d find such wilfully inoffensive music grossly offensive in both its intent and execution. But Highton’s songs have a certain charm that puts a different kind of shine on the polish.
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