Element of Light,
Hitchcock's second studio album with
the Egyptians, remains one of his finest moments and offers a convincing argument for his talents as a pop craftsman. Using
John Lennon's work for
Revolver and
The Beatles as a template,
Hitchcock wrote an elegant set of songs for
Element of Light, songs that contained all of his cryptic lyrical sensibilities, yet featured more refined melodies and song structures.
The Egyptians play with a subtle grace, moving between the stately "Winchester" and light psychedelia of "If You Were a Priest" to the bracing attack of "Tell Me About Your Drugs" with ease. While it sacrifices some of the edgy tension of
Hitchcock's earlier work,
Element of Light is his most melodic and eerily beautiful record. [In 2008, Yep Roc released a new edition of
Element of Light which included the original album re-mastered, six bonus cuts (four of which had never seen the light of day) and expanded packaging.]
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi