To name oneself after the Parthenon, the crowning glory of Greek civilization, is an audacious move for someone making a first album. Taking the surname of Huxley (as in Aldous?) is an equally bold stroke. Sunny Nights proves to be as enigmatic as its creator and as oxymoronic as its title.

Singer-guitarist Huxley employs two very different voices on Sunny Nights. One is a smooth, appealing croon that is used on reassuring, accessible pop songs like "Double Our Numbers" and "Buddha, Buddha." The other is a clenched, Bowiesque rock voice reserved for the more obsessive material, such as "Button" and "Guest Host for the Holy Ghost." Outwardly, the latter song attacks TV evangelists for their holier-than-thou hypocrisies, but it could also be about the Messianic complex in rock & roll – an occupational hazard for anyone who has a guitar, an amp and an audience.

Overflowing with songwriting smarts, good guitar work and a big beat, Sunny Nights is a monumental debut. (RS 533)

PARKE PUTERBAUGH