Haircut 100's debut album,
Pelican West is a widely uneven concoction of lite funk and jazzy new wave pop. Although the group's music was frequently so light it virtually disappeared, they did record a pair of classic new wave singles with the effervescent "Love Plus One" and "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)." Although much of the record lacks the hooks of those two tracks, there's a handful of enjoyably breezy pop songs on
Pelican West, such as "Fantastic Day" and "Snow Girl," that makes it worth investigating for new wave fetishists. Still, there's no denying that
Haircut 100's material was often inadequate -- a situation only emphasized on the American edition of the album, which places the singles at the front -- and that the record sounded like a period piece just a few years after its release. [The Australian edition features three B-sides and two 12" mixes as bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine