Soft Boys

Eighteen years after its last reissue, the debut LP from vastly influential psych-punk quartet the Soft Boys has been repackaged for the fourth time, thanks to South Carolina label Yep Roc. Cashing in on the current vinyl craze, A Can of Bees has been re-released on LP, MP3 and CD, with packaging designed to mimic the original 1979 release. Given another look, A Can of Bees still comes off as pioneering and adventurous as ever. On songs like the surreal, gluey "Give it to the Soft Boys" and the wild, workman-esque "The Pigworker," the listener can hear vocalist Robyn Hitchcock and guitarist Kimberly Rew honing their craft, with the former sounding as raw and imaginative as he'll ever sound, and the latter is virtually learning how to control his monstrous guitar playing. It's easy to see how R.E.M., the Replacements and the Flaming Lips became so enamoured with this band. It's even easier to become enamoured yourself.