Haircut 100 Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Nick Heyward left Haircut 100 for a solo career shortly after the success of Pelican West, so the group decided that percussionist Mark Fox would be an adequate lead vocalist for their second album, Paint and Paint. In many ways they were right, since Fox has a pleasantly thin voice that blends easily into the band's lightly jazzy pop and funk. However, he lacks both the fey wit and easy melodicism of Heyward and, as a result, the group fails to produce anything as effortlessly catchy and memorable as "Love Plus One." It's no surprise that the group disappeared shortly after the release of Paint and Paint. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Haircut 100's debut album, Pelican West is a widely uneven concoction of lite funk and jazzy new wave pop. Although the group's music was frequently so light it virtually disappeared, they did record a pair of classic new wave singles with the effervescent "Love Plus One" and "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)." Although much of the record lacks the hooks of those two tracks, there's a handful of enjoyably breezy pop songs on Pelican West, such as "Fantastic Day" and "Snow Girl," that makes it worth investigating for new wave fetishists. Still, there's no denying that Haircut 100's material was often inadequate -- a situation only emphasized on the American edition of the album, which places the singles at the front -- and that the record sounded like a period piece just a few years after its release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
