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  "title": "Top 40 '90s albums, #32: The High Llamas — Gideon Gaye",
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              "plaintext": "This whole list of full of memories. That’s music for all of us, I assume. It’s memory encoded as melody, harmony and rhythm. I used to listen to this album walking around my small town on my big over-the-ear headphones, probably on a burned CD. I had only listened to a little bit of The Beach Boys, so I had only a passing realization the Gideon Gaye was deeply influenced by these albums that are touchstones for all of pop music. High school, you know?"
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              "plaintext": "When I later really dove into The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, I was struck by the similarities. I shouldn’t have been struck, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t think elitism does anybody much good, but I sure thought it did. Again, high school, you know? And so I wanted to understand music the right way. I wanted to love the best music. I wanted to have a great understanding of what made the music I loved what it was. The High Llamas helped disabuse me of that notion, though not until after high school."
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              "plaintext": "Gideon Gaye is deeply inspired by Brian Wilson’s repertoire, and you need only look as far as “The Goat Strings” at the midpoint to find the album’s most overt references — the organ and string combination seal that particular track. And there’s plenty of glockenspiel work throughout, giving Gideon Gaye basically a full complement of “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” references. And you know what? The more I listen, the more oblique the references become, and the sillier I feel for my high school self. It’s not rational, and it’s not really justified. I don’t need to judge that kid. That’s sort of the same problem, isn’t it? Still, it’s not as if The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson references are anything of a secret."
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              "plaintext": "This album has one of the greatest five-track runs to kick things off. “Giddy Strings” is a 30-second introduction with, uh, strings; “The Dutchman” is a great piano-led piece with beautiful harmonies; “Giddy and Gay” regularly just pops into my head regularly and really showcases the Vox organ; “Easy Rod” is a nice, relaxed interlude; and “Checking In, Checking Out” is just pop songwriting at its best."
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              "plaintext": "What an album this is. I know I’ve poked fun at my younger self a bit, but I feel fortunate to have heard this album when I did — even if maybe I did things a bit out of order."
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  "description": "'90s chamber pop at its finest",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-24T05:09:20.036Z"
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