by Dean CarlsonOften 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.