Darren Haymen's sad sad love life...
12/27/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Think of the whiny rock of the wedding present mixed with over the top sentimentalilty of belle and sebastian (er... perhaps not quite accurate, for at least belle and sebastian have a more credible intellectual edge). Hefner is, at its best, ednearing and honest. At their worst, they are whiny and repetitve. But for the most part, Darren Haymen seems to have truly been wronged in romance-- enough to fill two full length records. This is the better of the two, perhaps only because it is slightly less polished then their latter effort, the fidelity wars. I'm a huge fan of this album, and the band for that matter, but I realize that this is not a 5 star offering. The music is enjoyable. The singing is heartfelt. This album is best described as a love story, told by a teenage boy. Included is embarrassment, innocence, melodrama, and truth."
A Hymn to the Hefner Album
10/31/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My mum & dad listen to this album in their Vauxhall Astra on their way to the supermarket. We sing along to it at 5 in the morning on upside down guitars. On "The Sweetness Lies Within", I thought "Treasure time that was spent with me" was "Chocolate time that was spent with me." But that's besides the point. Smithsian, good. Cheers you up. Romantic and true."