The Clientele

On their third album, the Clientele sound like they've gone through extensive therapy; no longer are they trudging their way through the jagged landscape of loss and heartbreak. Although their material has lightened a little, there's still a hushed elegance to their gauzy, layered pop that recalls the impressionistic music of the Zombies at their most haunted and the Beach Boys after they got over their surfing fetish. Alasdair Maclean sings with an exquisite detachment that brings to mind Bryan Ferry's solo material, especially on the surprisingly seditious "The Garden at Night."