Open The Pod Bay Doors Dept.

Hal proved that making albums overflowing with fantastic, hooky songs just ain't enough. Nor is great singing and playing, apparently. Nor is a sparkling, lush, full production. What does it take? Beats me. Here's a couple of swell long-playing record albums that'll have you sobbing "I give up! The world is nuts!"

From Ireland, with a distinctly West Coast pop vibe, this is gorgeous, seemingly effortless music that'll make you despair of the biz called show.

First eponymous album from 2004, followed eight furshlugginer years later by their second. The whole thing is just baffling, because a couple of songs into their first album you'll be a Hal Fan for life. Trust me, goddammit!