The High Llamas
Can Cladders
Album · Pop · 2007 · Drag City
Sean O’Hagan uses plangent chords, fragile melodies, and sparkling orchestration with a sense of innocence and wonder similar to that of Brian Wilson. For 2007’s Can Cladders, his exploratory melodic instinct is supported by the band’s beach rhythms—the Jamaican offbeats in “Honeytrop,” the bossa nova in “Boing Backwards”—and disco strings. Songs often change as the melody shifts, bringing in unison lead vocals or gently lapping choral voices (as used in “Clarion Union Hall”) to give the music a welcoming sense of community.
Can Cladders
The High Llamas
Sean O’Hagan uses plangent chords, fragile melodies, and sparkling orchestration with a sense of innocence and wonder similar to that of Brian Wilson. For 2007’s Can Cladders, his exploratory melodic instinct is supported by the band’s beach rhythms—the Jamaican offbeats in “Honeytrop,” the bossa nova in “Boing Backwards”—and disco strings. Songs often change as the melody shifts, bringing in unison lead vocals or gently lapping choral voices (as used in “Clarion Union Hall”) to give the music a welcoming sense of community.
