CLIFF HILLIS (Starbelly) - The Long Now

This is Cliff Hillis` 3rd solo album and like his previous efforts since leaving one of the 90`s best power pop bands, Starbelly, Hillis stretches his wings a bit, never losing is innate and natural ability to deliver melody and hooks to the fore. It`s impossible for his being, apparently. Powerful, guitar-driven pop that`s slick withut being cheesy, light and pleasant without inducing cavities, and that has a rock `n roll soul. Cliff Hillis is one more great reason to empty your bowl. Contemplative singer/songwriter one minute, power popper the next, enigmatic love song balladeer three and a half minutes after that. "a mature work about personal commitment to a loving relationship that has his voice more up-front than his first album , Hillis, who is in his early 30s, describes his audience as "not so much the teen crowd" but more of the "independent, alternative [rock] people who seek" out the music. The guitar-based pop sound, played in three-and-four-minute bursts, is allusive to the `60s and `70s, but does have its contemporaries in singer-songwriters Sweet and John Mayer, both of whom Hillis has been lumped with. His mature, positive lyrics about relationships and marriage do make him standout in the singer-songwriter crowd where whining and emo-heartache can abound."-Coast Press.

The press is streaming in! "This new Hillis album has a more mellow spin here, with the pleasing tight melodies that sound like Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) mixed with John Mayer. The smooth catchy opener "She Sees" shuffles along at a casual pace that switches to the guitar buzzing goodness of the great "Never Understand" with those great "ooh ooh" vocals in the chorus. The album boasts a cadre of pop experts including his band The Thinkers, as well as Eric Bazilian(The Hooters), Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts), and Willie Wisely. The song "Elevator" is another standout of awesome light pop melody and tempered beat that flows right into the chorus. "Northern Lights" echos back to earlier albums and flirts with a Posies-like sound with heavier guitar. The Beatlesque mid-tempo "Ought to know" is another great tune with an unusual synth break during the main banjo melody. Every song here is good, and even the ballads don`t get too weepy. The songs delve into subjects about maturing relationships and marriage - without the usual gloom and doom you hear with other artists. This is a good solid album you are sure to enjoy."-PowerPopAHolic. "8 out of 10. While mellower in tone than his previous efforts, "The Long Now" still finds Hillis reveling in power pop hooks and layered melodies" - DelMarvaNow.

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