P. Hux
"Deluxe" CD (P. Hux)
Parthenon Huxley might not be a total unknown, especially considering his 1988 debut "Sunny Nights" was lauded by every critic in the western hemisphere, but he's no pop star by any means. What a total fucking travesty that is. Not that I want to see his mug plastered on every rag from People to The Star, but his music is so unbelievably good that he should be a goddamn millionaire. This album is almost the perfect collection of pop music. Filler is an alien concept to Parthenon who wrote his first song at age ten. Every song is expertly crafted yet still maintains the raw energy of a band which really loves what it's doing and doesn't want to fuck it up with over-production. Every song should, and could, be a hit single. A newfound optimism rising from the ashes of hard times provides the foundation for this album of self acceptance and realization. Don't misunderstand, there's no Stuart Smalley new age bullshit here, just an Everyman's celebration of difficulties overcome and a bright future. "We say our prayers and we pray they're heard / That hard times now might be bliss deferred / And it's thoughts like these, however trite / That make it seem all right." How can you argue with that? (TOM)