With all the work on the Doughboys, I just recalled a solo project of that power pop journeyman, Richard X. Heyman. Originally released to fans who bought “Actual Sighs” in advance, it’s now available as a download only album. And, no Heyman doesn’t toke on a hookah, that’s just a clever cover, and the music is like a “best of” bonus tracks. RXH is assisted by notable friends like Ed Stasium (Smithereens), Kurt Reil (Gripweeds), Michael Mazzarella (Rooks), and bandmates Andy Resnick, and Nancy Leigh. There are 17 tracks here of assorted quality but there is plenty to love here, starting with the absorbing “And I Really Don’t Mind” and “Woulda Coulda Shoulda” which sound closer to his “Cornerstone” era. You would expect gems littered all over this collection of leftovers, and that’s true on the lovely “Scars Of A Cat Lover” full of a chorus sung in rounds, the emotional Costello-like “Set Up Town” and Byrdsian janglefest that is “Down In Merry Land.” Obviously fans of Heyman should get this, but any power pop fan who missed it deserves to discover the joys of RXH. He’s currently working on a concept double album next.
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