Often passed over in the
the High Llamas
' canon (even the liner notes of the reissue go out of their way to reassure that things are a little rough), 1992's
Santa Barbara
is nevertheless an important formative record that will please and interest many admirers of the band. There's an emphasis on pre-
acid house
English
pop
(
"Market Traders"
),
Out of Time
-era
R.E.M.
"Put Yourself Down"
), and an orchestral touch that would reappear later in albums like
Cold and Bouncy
.
"Period Music"
pokes out with verses lifted from
XTC
and a closing, layered, almost
dream pop
refrain, but non-fans may wonder about the band's bored and serious approach toward
Byrds-ian
acoustica. ~ Dean Carlson