“Perri & Neil have come up with a truly delightful album. The combination of Perri’s impeccable voice and of Neil’s fluid guitar makes this an album to enjoy. And an album that can be enjoyed on several listening levels… Every note, every space is crystal and transparent. Simply, this is a classy album that with the right interest/promotion could be a major seller!”

– Bob Mulvey, Dutch Progressive Rock Pages [review of the Then album]

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“[Perri and Neil have created] … a new genre, unique to them, forged from fires of pure emotion and musical talent of two extraordinary musicians, conjoined as one constellation… While there are elements of jazz, this is not jazz as I know it… musical structures are tightly controlled, while vocals flow between poetry and prose, sometimes pure notes, lyrics are drawn from deeply considered thought; this is fusion of two very different musical backgrounds, both highly intuitive, which inform and enhance each other to conceive a new whole.”

– Chumki Bannerjee, Mudkiss [review of the Then album]

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“Fragrant, harmonious jazz, which plays upon their strongest cards, Perri’s rich, full-flavoured tones and Neil’s impeccable fingerstyle chords and solo lines……..the future looks very bright for this mellow and talented team.”

– Keith Ames, The Musician [review of the Then album]

 

“It’s beautifully crafted, beautifully played and sublime”

– Spencer Leigh, BBC Radio Merseyside [commenting on the Then album]

 

“The wonderfully life affirming melodies and voices of their album Then are something to enjoy in a leisurely manner, with your problems put away wherever they will fit. The virtuoso guitar of Neil Campbell, in a far more relaxed bossa-nova style than his Bulbs shows, shines out next to the honeyed vocals of Perri Alleyne-Hughes as they make music that is perhaps best described as romantic in the most classical way.

The music may be delicate, soulful like few records you will hear from the local scene, but behind beats a heart of passion and the subject of the songs is unashamedly romantic. Highlights include the dreamlike Walking With the Sun, with it’s simple melody and lyrics that compare the thought of a special someone to being out in the sunshine. With just three minutes it makes its point perfectly and unforgettably whilst Both of You is dedicated to Alleyne-Hughes’ children and the addition of jazz styled bass and drums makes the song the perfect tribute with a playful energetic streak that contrasts with Campbell’s effervescent guitar chords.

There is without doubt a feeling of smoky-voiced soulful happiness-filled evenings to this record and with its merging of jazz, bossa nova and balladic traditions alongside lyrics as sharp and clear as the emotion that produced them this is the perfect evening listen, as life affirming as a blue sky after the rain falls either literally or metaphorically.”

– Seba Rashii’s Culture Blog

 

“[Perri and Neil’s] album Then has its jazz influence out for all to see (and hear).  Hard to put in any kind of musical pigeon-hole, their songs put me in mind of all kinds from chilled Ibiza to Cleo Laine to Sinatra at his coolest. Perri’s vocals against the background of Neil’s classical guitar are so made for each other that it’s a bit of a surprise to find out they’ve only been writing and performing together for a couple of years.”

– Andrea McGuire,Liverpool Cultural Champions Blog

 

“‘…By the time the amiable and ever-smiling Campbell arrived on the stage, we were indeed sitting comfortably and eager to discover what all the electronic gadgetry surrounding the guitarist’s chair would do. But first we were introduced to the striking and exotic figure of Perri Alleyne-Hughes, whose wonderful smoky jazz contralto was the perfect vehicle for a set of songs co-written with Campbell. Amid a layered soundscape generated by Campbell’s foot-operated gizmos, Alleyne-Hughes soon emerged as a charismatic performer with a superb sense of pitch and diction….’ (review of concert at the Capstone Theatre on 2nd July 2010)”

– Paul Fowles, Classical Guitar Magazine

 

“The impression conjured by each piece is imprinted on my mind – lazy, hazy Sundays bathed in the warmth of loved ones, the abandonment of falling deeply and completely in love with a kindred spirit and jumping headlong in together, total utter release in the arms of unconditional love, breaking down of fears, doubts and barriers to arrive out of a maelstrom of turbulence to that place in life where everything fits, where it feels right to be intensely yourself, a place which feels like home.”

– Chumki Banerjee, Heart and Soul