reviews
Reviews of Here Comes The Sharp Things
LosingToday (Missive #38)
"...expressive, deeply colourful and above all romantically dramatic...more concerned with making a lasting impression than offering a quick fix"
NME (UK)
"Bad Seeds meets Philly soul with Talk Talk's Mark Hollis on vocals."
London Sunday Times (UK)
"...essential additions to the chamber-pop canon."
The Spill (Canada)
"Even though most of the record barely goes above a whisper, the music speaks loudest when it's from the heart."
High Bias
"...beautifully, melodiously devastating."
Indie-Music.com
"Pain has never sounded so beautiful"
Beta (Singapore)
"Well-crafted, thoughtful pop with lush, orchestral leanings. Ravishing."
Splendid
"In the grand tradition of Randy Newman and Van Dyke Parks, The Sharp Things are a baroque pop lover's dream come true -- a frothy confection that's equal parts Cole Porter opulence, brittle Hal David pop punch and lovelorn Left Banke flicker"
Prefix
"The songs earn a place on that late-night jukebox for the lonely hearts."
Fufkin
"Iron fist in a velvet glove...Sophisticated without being alienating."
Feedback Magazine (UK)
"Without a doubt the best album ever released on Best Kept Secret."
Cool Noise (UK)
"Music for quiet, relaxed moods...a bit old-fashioned, a bit Torch -- and more than a little bit classic."
Mundane Sounds
"Here Comes The Sharp Things is the smartest, most literate and best-dressed record you'll hear all year."
Left Off The Dial
"Fans of pop-inflected folk music will truly appreciate this album in all its glory."
Indiepop.it (ITALY)
"One of the albums of the year, not to mention a perfect companion for lonely evenings at the bar."
Leonard's Lair (UK)
"Debut albums very rarely sound as polished as Here Comes The Sharp Things."
reviewed4u (UK)
"If you buy this album buy two as you will wear the first one out very quickly."
Amplifier Magazine
"Welcome to the world of Perry Serpa, the Travis Bickle of chamber pop...a thing of tragic beauty."
Shredding Radio
"The Sharp Things do slow right."
The Big Takeover
"As accomplished and well recorded as it is subtly affecting."
Devil In The Woods
"As timeless as Bacharach and as piercing as Costello, The Sharp Things have indeed arrived."
Magnet
"[Perry Serpa is] blessed with an effortlessly evocative set of pipes."
Under The Radar
"This is one band that knows how to preserve a sense of space."
All Things Considered
"Brims with wistful words and lush, careful arrangements."
nealalpert.com
"This one has been in my car stereo lately."
The Associated Press
"The best tracks...recall the work of classic tunesmiths such as Burt Bacharach and Beach Boy Brian Wilson."
Flaunt Magazine
"[Serpa is] a balladeer with Nick Cave's sense of drama and Jarvis Cocker's world-weariness."
Alternative Press
"Delicate, piano-driven pop that you'll probably enjoy as much as your parents will...beautifully executed."
All Music Guide
"True fans of [pop folk] will find this obscure gem and simply wear their copy out by playing it constantly."
TIME OUT New York
"Straightforward but lush songs locked in an embrace with classic melodies."
Barnes and Noble.com
"Serpa's minor-key laments...come off with grace and sincerity."
The Hungry Mind Review
"It sounds to me like the Sharp Things would be a great live band."
Book of Kills
"It's much harder to make a slow song work than a fast one, and the Sharp Things have met that challenge admirably."