Naked Eyes Front Man is back! This is NO Illusion!
06/05/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Pete Byrne returned with this, his first solo CD, since those forever classic Naked Eyes recordings. In the pantheon of 80s pop music, FUEL FOR THE FIRE and NAKED EYES, rank high and untouchable on the totem pole. That said, after the lengthy hiatus of over a decade Byrne re-arrived back on a changed, new world. My ears had high expectations. I must admit, upon first listening I thought Byrne's voice sounded different and it has matured and aged. But, THE REAL ILLUSION pays off. I re-discovered the joy of Byrne's music and placed the disc in heavy rotation and very gradually the music became a classic for me in its own right. I'M A BELIEVER and many more offer infectious synth grooves and clearly Byrne hasn't lost his touch. Put simply, Byrne's task of being held up in the mirror to those classics built by he and late partner, Rob Fisher, is unenviable. That said, this is a solid, worthy return and I hope it won't be Byrne's last. Furthermore, check out EVERYTHING AND MORE by Naked Eyes released in 2002 for a taste of classic Naked Eyes [the third and lost installment of the Naked Eyes years]."