XTC - Oranges & Lemons [2LP UK Import]

XTC's Oranges & Lemons is a bright, kaleidoscopic burst of 1989 pop, pressed here as a heavyweight 200-gram 2LP UK import for a record that deserves the space.

Their ninth studio album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Paul Fox, and the Californian sunshine seems to have seeped into every corner. Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, long since retired from touring, poured their energy into dense, colourful studio arrangements, stacking psychedelic flourishes and Beatles-esque harmonies into songs that still feel playful and razor sharp. It is one of the most generous records in their catalogue, packed with ideas from start to finish.

"The Mayor of Simpleton" is the jangly, irresistible single that became one of their best-loved songs, a self-deprecating love letter with a bassline that never sits still. Moulding's "King for a Day" offers a smooth, wistful look at ambition, "Garden of Earthly Delights" opens the record with swirling, exotic swagger, and "Chalkhills and Children" closes it on a gentle, dreamlike note.

Spread across two discs, this is a detailed listen that rewards headphones and repeat plays alike. It captures one of Britain's cleverest bands at a creative peak, still finding fresh angles on the perfect pop song and clearly having fun doing it.