what's on
6th february 2002
richard j fallon

This remarkable debut by Tim Closs has been re-issued. Which is just as well as it's a work of pure genius. It's dark without ever being bleak, while a lingering melancholic beauty is constantly on display. Closs wears his heart very much on his sleeve, as a blanket of honesty is stretched to every corner of not only his world, but ours as well. It's produced with such restraint, giving everything, from his heartfelt vocals, soft strings and guitars room to breathe. Each track should be labelled 'handle with care': such is the level of fragility that exists. If you've ever felt heartache (and I don't mean indigestion), then buy a copy not only for yourself, but for everyone you've ever loved. 5/5

teletext
september 2001
john earls

Tears In X-Ray Eyes is the solo project of one Tim Closs, a curious, querulous London-based singer-songwriter whose fractured anthems of loss and longing ache with intimations of mortality. Closs delivered a statement of intent with last year's distracted, beautiful single Stained Glass, and this profound set builds on the poignant promise. There's a bittersweet, Blur-like track called London's Most Unwanted Child. It certainly won't be Closs. Promising. 7/10

glasgow evening times
17th august 2001
"album of the week"

Accompanied at various times by two other musicians, Tim Closs wields a lovelorn pen similar to Morrissey in full depressed flow. The result is a sad and touching theme of suburban disillusionment and outsider angst. Still, outsiders are the new rock and roll. Or is it the new black?

oxford student
4th february 2002
gurdeep mattu

This album has restored my faith in guitar music. And in indie. Not one bad track, not one track that needs to be supported to by the rest at all. From the opening distorted guitars on 'Nature's Valentines', Tim Closs singing from some far away high rise building, 'Half-Life' is one long succession of finely crafted guitar tunes. The title track 'Half-Life' and also the moving 'Open Wide' stand out, the latter about a man leaving a relationship after he had 'squeezed himself through every hole', but I could talk you through the merits of all the tracks if I had enough space. Bear in mind, however, 'finely crafted' is the key, as this is not an album for sheer inspiration. Perhaps only the choral intro to 'Independence Day' is far-out enough. There are few real jumps onto the next level. Many sequences remind you of other work, but when it is this good, when the album catches your emotions so precisely, when Tim's advice on 'Keep Us Together' is so apt, the talent cannot be denied. Tim Closs's voice, fragile all the way through, never raging or rasping, always remaining fixed in a falsetto quiver, is another key; in total, a promising new band, who have the key ability - to connect on the human level. Set away the style police, and let guitars gleam once again. This is important. 4/5

tasty fanzine
february 2002
issue 14

Too many cooks spoil the broth - stick to the simple things and you'll go far. Just two of my huge archive of cliches that could be used to describe this sublime album. TIXE is Tim Closs, and this is his art, and my word, it's beautiful. There's ten tracks here and not a duff one to be found. From the opening, almost Creature-ish 'Nature's Valentines' through the warmth of the title track, on which Closs does his very best Brett Anderson impression, and onto to C&W lullaby that is 'Don't Crush The One You Love', and the torch song of the year - 'Independence Day' and the huge, orchestral beauty of 'London's Most Unwanted Child' - perhaps the strongest track here, one has the impression that Closs is something of a perfectionist. If this is the case, he's very good at being a perfectionist - 'Half-Life' tells us that much. The problem now is, how does he top this? Losing those Brett-isms could be a start, but that hardly spoils the album. It's the way that these finely crafted songs are so versatile that impresses most. Not only are they intensely personal, but they could just bring a whole bunch of people together. Outstanding.