XTC—Skylarking

XTC—Skylarking, seen here with its official (but not original) artwork.

Skylarking—Rare is the album that hooks you in less than ten seconds. As the opener “Summer's Cauldron” creeps into audibility, the listener is instantly filled with sonic imagery perfectly encapsulated by the song's title. Its lyrics, washed with psychedelia but without the drug-addled anemia, perfectly paint a portrait of a summer's afternoon, perhaps too hot to handle but profound in its allure. It sets the tone for the album: gentle, flowing wordplay set to pleasing, layered music that only ventures from the tried-and-true when it's got something to say. It has understandably drawn comparisons in its time to the best pop records of the 1960s, sometimes bordering on accusatory in their notions of derivation. While Skylarking does owe a certain debt to Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile and the Beatles’ ‘65-’67 run (Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt. Pepper), it builds on those works, the earlier XTC canon, and the evolving nature of the studio to make a seminal work.

Skylarking (1986) ostensibly follows The Big Express (1984), but it is better put in context between the band’s two Dukes of Stratosphear works, 25 O’Clock (1985) and Psionic Sunspot (1987). The former, oft-forgotten alongside other extracurricular band activities (think Foxboro Hot Tubs or Jamming with Edward!), is a more literal homage to the original wave of psychedelic rock, bordering on parody at times but delivered with an ultimately earnest love for the music and lyrical conventions of the time. XTC was never very overt with its displays of affection until that point, but neither 25 O’Clock nor Skylarking should come as a huge surprise from the band that bore English Settlement (1982) and especially Mummer (1983).
“Summer’s Cauldron” (written by de facto leader Andy Partridge) segues effortlessly into “Grass,” a then-high both musically and lyrically for bassist Colin Moulding. It can be considered a sequel of sorts to the more lilting Mummer songs, such as the pixie pop of “Wonderland” (Moulding) or the bardsong “Love on a Farmboy’s Wages” (Partridge), but what really sets “Grass” apart is the modest guitar lines and producer Todd Rundgren’s keyboard and orchestral arrangements, which perfectly underscore Moulding’s inspired melody and simple yet evocative lyrics.

The song is quickly countered by Moulding’s shimmering “The Meeting Place,” every part the equal of “Grass,” but with the album’s first thematic twists, however understated. The musical tones are still optimistic, but light percussion from Rundgren sideman Prairie Prince and the album’s first taste of dissent now affect the songcraft; a tale of clandestine meetings set the album’s opening two songs in relief. These trends continue on the discordant “That’s Really Super, Supergirl,” the album’s first real masterpiece. Partridge’s scathing dirge sees the band firing on all cylinders; the frontman’s masterfully-sung lyrics offer a comic-book parable of a disintegrating relationship, while Moulding’s bass lines kick into gear for the first time on the album to go along a memorable guitar solo and Rundgren’s excellent synth backing track.

These highs in performance continue on the mini-suite “Ballet for a Rainy Day/1000 Umbrellas.” The jangling guitars and syncopated rhythms of “Ballet” take a back seat to Partridge’s most adventurous wordplay before giving way to the string-heavy “1000 Umbrellas,” which will stand the test of time as one of his most impressive lyrical works (“the jesters will creep in to smack down the newly-crowned monarch of Misery;” “just when I thought that my vista was golden in hue/one thousand umbrellas opened to spoil the view”). The music continues to let loose on the expressive “Season Cycle,” the most loose and free pop piece on the album’s first side, before concluding with “Earn Enough for Us,” one of four singles, which does not fit well with the rest of side A but is nonetheless noteworthy in its craft.

The B side of the LP is expectedly more adventurous and less cohesive than side A, but is equally thoughtful and often reaches the highs established on the A side’s best compositions. “Big Day” is a cautionary tale from Moulding about the expectations of marriage set to minor-key progressions and spacy instrumentation that forecasts Partridge’s more dissonant “Another Satellite,” replete with Gregory’s wandering Chamberlin strokes. “Mermaid Smiled,” loosely connected to the songs that follow via its aquatic imagery, is about the closest the album gets to a weak song: a mildly thought-provoking lyric over uninspired guitar-playing and instrumentation. “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” does it better; Partridge’s lyrics are more focused and Rundgren’s horn arrangement turns an otherwise run-of-the-mill instrumental track into something more.

Moulding closes out the album proper with a pair of comparatively subdued pieces. “Dying” is a short vignette that flirts with the morbid in its depiction of a death scene with a sense of regret; “Sacrificial Bonfire,” with its authentic recording of a bonfire burning, is a deceptively strong song that ends the album on a note of change, echoing Moulding’s Mummer contributions in many ways, and bookmarks a record that ends and nearly begins with his voice.

Also of particular note is Partridge’s iconic “Dear God,” which began life as a non-album track, but has been appended to Skylarking on all pressings after the first. It ends the album on one release and replaces “Mermaid Smiled” or precedes “Dying” on others. It is possibly the group’s most well-known song, but is much more pointed than the rest of Skylarking despite being recorded at the same time. Its well-constructed but controversial lyrics mock and dispute the existence of God over minor-key arpeggios, and is a welcome addition at least musically if one does not care for its sentiments.

Skylarking is the best album from a band that had already put out a good deal of exceptional music. It is also an all-time great in the field of pop-rock, not having been topped since its release and rivalling or exceeding the classics that inspired it. It comes recommended to anyone with at least a passing interest in the relevant genres and is a glowing accomplishment for all involved in its recording.