Babybird – Bad Shave (1995)

By tightening his quality control considerably, Stephen Jones makes a convincing case that he is a madly talented English eccentric with Baby Bird's second album, Bad Shave. About half of the album is devoted to full-fledged songs, several of which (including the title track) are genuinely eerie and haunting. The rest, of course, is comprised of lightweight material that sounds like Jones was indulging his warped sense of humor, but in this context, where they're balanced by more substantial songs, they have greater impact. Although it still is a little too obscure for its own good, Bad Shave is an intriguing listen, and one that suggests Jones' talent may be too big to stay in the bedroom.~Stephen Thomas Erlewine