Kimberley Rew, former guitarist of the Soft Boys, fueled the hits of Katrina Leskanich And The Waves.
When he recorded the solo album
Bible Of Bop (Press, 1982),
it looked like Rew was headed towards a parallel career to the one embraced
by
Robyn Hitchcock.
Instead his backing band,
the Waves, became the credited musicians of his follow-up,
Shock Horror (Aftermath, 1983), containing the driving songs
Strolling On Air and Atomic Rock'N'Roll.
Success came with Walking On Sunshine (Attic, 1983), credited to Katrina And The Waves. The album is a spectacular parade of perfect 1960s imitations, echoing the feverish Tamla soul of Do You Want Crying and the passionate Tex-Mex of Que Te Quiero. Highlights include the aching, nostalgic melody of Going Down To Liverpool and the decades most exuberant party dance, Walking On Sunshine, a rough-and-ready rhythm and blues played with punk-rock fervor.
2 (Attic, 1984) is carried away by hard-rock energy in She Likes To Groove and Southern boogie in Machine Gun Smith, but regains its form in the dreamy, anthemic jingle-jangle in the style of R.E.M., Red Wine And Whiskey.
Waves (Capitol, 1985) and Break Of Hearts (SBK, 1989) brought their career to a far more subdued close.
Kimberley Rews got a new infusion of confidence with Katrina And The Waves'
Love Shine A Light (1997).
His solo album Tunnel Into Summer (Gadfly, 2000), that marks his
reconciliation with Robyn Hitchcokc, matches Katrina
and The Waves' exuberance
(Rosemary Jean, Simple Pleasures).
The author of so many pop classics has finally written a solo album
that stands up to his fame.
Great Central Revisited (Bongo Beat, 2003) does not, instead, repeat
that feat.
The Original Recordings (Bongo Beat, 2003) collects the first two albums.
