Hawaii

The received wisdom on the High Llamas' third album has always been that it's an homage to/ripoff of Brian Wilson's then-uncompleted Smile. And yeah, that element is certainly present, although Hawaii's predecessor Gideon Gaye is arguably even more Beach Boys influenced. But in reality, Wilson is only one influence present on Hawaii; it's just that in 1996, indie rock hipsters knew more about him than they did other key influences like European soundtrack composers such as John Barry and Piero Umiliani, Brazilian songwriters of the bossa nova and Tropicalia eras, and then-unfashionable acts like Burt Bacharach and Steely Dan. The album's genius is how the High Llamas fuse these disparate inspirations into a seamless, singular whole. Although individual songs like "Nomads," "Theatreland" and "Literature Is Fluff" stand out, Hawaii is best approached not as a 29-track album, but as a single, suitelike 74-minute piece with repeated musical elements. Under his playfully elliptical lyrics, Sean O'Hagan's lushly orchestrated arrangements blend strings, horns, woodwinds, vibraphones, banjos, and acoustic guitars with subtle vintage electronics that echo his tenure as an adjunct member of Stereolab. Too complex and quirky to merit the easy listening tag, Hawaii is unique even within the High Llamas' catalogue.