Bella Union

In his 50-odd years as a musical arranger, lyricist, composer and solo artist, Van Dyke Parks has served as pop music’s distantly brilliant iconoclast. And for better or worse (if you ask the maestro himself, it’s worse), there’s a massive footnote on Parks’ résumé: Smile, the aborted (then resurrected) Beach Boys album that he co-wrote in the mid-‘60s with the acid-fried Brian Wilson. But Parks’ solo efforts have all seamlessly branched from that album’s mythical, multi-hued Americana sprawl – showcasing a fearless, subversive musical mind. Songs Cycled – a collection of new tracks, re-vamped old works and traditional tunes – is another zany tapestry of harmonic hues and cultural textures. Like his solo masterwork, 1968’s Song Cycle, it’s music that is both complex and hummable – it’s a scattershot swirl of calypso, folk, psychedelia and romantic Italian balladry. Parks’ brittle, nasal tenor remains an acquired taste; but there’s no denying the funhouse wonder of his compositions.