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Looking for suggestions for albums with a similar sound to Pet Sounds. Doesn't matter if it's current or older. The more obscure, the better ;D
Thanks in advance!

Millenium - Begin
Sagittarius - Present Tense

Beethoven Symphony number 9 (not very obscure, but it's the closest thing I can think of in musical spirit)

Would You Belive by Billy Nichols.

Someone said my new album had a SMiLE vibe, if you're interested haha

Mark Eric- A Midsummer's Daydream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMpvRA9pJi4&feature=related

The Heavy Blinkers- Better Weather
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDUDKvlwx_U&feature=related

The Thrills - Teenager

as you can guess by the title, it's all about teenage love. has that feeling of nostalgia/remorse that pet sounds has.  Also all the songs sound similar before their melodies start opening up to you, much like the production on pet sounds.  not that the production is anything LIKE pet sounds. 

also like pet sounds, it didn't get love when it came out.  the band releases their best album and have been on hiatus ever since

Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina - The Left Banke

ELO's "Above the Clouds"
McCartney's "Back Seat Of My Car"

Try High Llamas albums Gideon Gaye or Hawaii
It shows the (kinda wall of sound) technic of playing the same melody with different instruments

High Llamas - The Goat Looks On
youtu.be/1dPoQWapQL0 (http://youtu.be/1dPoQWapQL0)

High Llamas - The Goat Looks On [instrumental]
youtu.be/6_6DFVXqZuU (http://youtu.be/6_6DFVXqZuU)

High Llamas - Ill-fitting Suits
youtu.be/RhyahcIqbdE (http://youtu.be/RhyahcIqbdE)

Pet Sounds style moment:
youtube.com/watch?v=RhyahcIqbdE&t=2m49s (http://youtube.com/watch?v=RhyahcIqbdE&t=2m49s)

the thrills - i'm so sorry (from teenager)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwGsDsl0cBo

M Ward (featuring Jason Lytle)

http://youtu.be/xGuuNeQ9ahA

I've heard many of the records mentioned here; I don't connect with them in the same emotional way as I do with Pet Sounds. A record's sound is different from its vibe.

There are artists who have emulated the sound, but none have combined lyrics and sonics with youthful feelings of yearning, loss and isolation to make a groundbreaking album length record.

Not an album, but this song is ridiculously inspired by the album Pet Sounds:

You Can Do Better Than Me - Death Cab For Cutie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ59-FhJI5c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ59-FhJI5c)

How many Wine Drinking playlists is this on? I wonder. Yep, really like this one.

Odessey & Oracle by The Zombies

I cant believe that Splitsville: The Complete Pet Soul hasnt been mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fylKnLQNeQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8xvbJp1BK8

That's a really good album. Definately a very strong 1965-1966 Beach Boys vibe, and songs like California Home, Where Do The Girls Of Summer Go and Night Of The Lions are outstanding. Too bad the guy has a rather unpleasant voice...

Stereolab - Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night

XTC - Skylarking

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the suggestions.I have many of the mentioned albums. While Odessey and Oracle and Begin (among others) are fantastic records, I was hoping to get some suggestions that are more similar to Splitsville's "Pet Soul" (edit - I see it was mentioned above).

This is exactly the sound I am looking for. Thanks!

These ^^^^ no doubt about it..and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfxASrg6MQ4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeyqaTxFf9s

The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Pale & Precious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRcXWGLummo

Margo Guryan - Think Of Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8BkeY753wA

Partridge nailed it so hard on this one. 

Oh wow, no one has mentioned The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3W4VLmCaJw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfydXnPly3k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rYUQSv2dY

Grandaddy has a Friends vibe on this song

http://youtu.be/cIhS6vP4nrc

Nobody captures the Brian Wilson magic the way Jason Lytle of Grandaddy does IMO!

http://youtu.be/mvm6D-C5muE

These are the High Llamas albums that most frequently get recommended, but for my money Sean O'Hagan's masterpiece (and his Pet Sounds-iest album besides) was the later Beet Maize and Corn. O'Hagan lost most of his fans with a series of albums after Hawaii which moved into Stereolab-style lounge-electronica territory, a style of music which is not my cup of tea in any case, and which I don't think he did particularly well even on its own terms (less well than Stereolab, with whom he collaborated). But then he came to his senses and recorded an album of gorgeous chamber pop very much in the Brian Wilson mould with perhaps a touch of Burt Bacharach. IMHO it knocks the more highly fancied Gideon Gaye and Hawaii out of the park, but because of what preceded it it's not as well known. The subsequent Can Cladders is also very good - last year's (year before's?) Talahomi Way less so, but still not bad.

And I second all the endorsements earlier in the thread for Andy Partridge/XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear.

While there's nothing overtly "Pet Sounds" like about it, Jellyfish's "Spilt Milk" evokes similar emotions in me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKquzN8S_Cc

Rubber Soul

Jellyfish do this quite well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgKjC2V4xfk&ob=av3n

As do Spiritualized, on occasion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ckXWLwvRDU

For me, these sit near Pet Sounds in my mind, either emotionally, thematically, or for whatever weird reason. (Not that they are necessarily on par for quality.) But if you're looking for things that actually sound like Pet Sounds--I note the Pet Soul and Dukes of the Stratosphear mentions above--as opposed to evoking similar feelings, these are not good choices.

Marvin Gaye, When I'm Alone I Cry
Miles Davis, A Kind of Blue
The Mountain Goats, Tallahassee and Get Lonely
Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Lou Reed, Berlin
Jonathan Richman, I Jonathan

Since you're going for the "vibe"--whatever YOU consider that vibe to be--I'm going to suggest "Idlewild" by Everything But The Girl. No, it doesn't sound like PS, but it does have that "I'm taking a weekend away to reflect and think about things in my life" kind of feel.

Hope this helps!

Close, but Pet Sounds is in a "zone" all of its' own!

None is as introspectively "disarming" as Pet Sounds, while maintaining a rock appeal with Sloop and
Wouldn't It Be Nice... ;)

Sure about Berlin? I mean, it is rather preoccupied with death and the depths of human misery, something I wouldn't associate with Pet Sounds.

I think I associate the two because both are thematic, unified albums that are intense and focused to the point of being obsessive. Berlin is almost as much a love album as Pet Sounds, just with people in a worse place. (Actually Tallahassee fits there too.) If the love of Pet Sounds is of a young man wanting to get out and experience life, Berlin picks up after some of those experiences ... and obviously not all healthy ones.

And of course both are richly arranged and played by absolute studio aces.

But I didn't really think these through too much--I've actually just thought more about why I link them than I did before posting it.

By "vibe", I really meant something with similar sound qualities - not Rubber Soul (of course, great album!), but more like, as I mentioned previously, Pet Soul. A lot of won-won-won-wonderful suggestions though, thanks so much!

Roy Wood's LP Mustard is worth seeking out, it sometimes called his 'Pet Sounds'.

It's also one of the albums I wish had a proper CD release, my vinyl copy is well worn.

Beach House - Teen Dream

The romantic melody, the brutal honesty of the lyrics and the luscious, complex (yet tasteful) arrangement makes Falling for You by Weezer far too easy to compare to Pet Sounds' vibe. Just listen to that melodic, heart wrenching solo and tell me that Brian Wilson isn't all over that sh*t.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iij1FIx-vDI

Pinkerton's my Pet Sounds of the nineties as I believe every song has the stellar qualities I described Falling For You as having above.

I though they were too obvious but nobody has mentioned these yet:

Fleet Foxes big time!!!!  Surprised nobody has mentioned them yet.  The similarities are uncanny-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQRS40OKNE

and this one! Im mean come on there are goats in the video, maybe a tip of the cap to Pet Sounds album cover???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brZTvGIzeGg

Also to a bit lesser extent Grizzley Bear especialy their song 'Two Weeks' he can hear it in the piano/organ playing totally Brian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ

Save For A Rainy Day by Jan and Dean.

yes this^^^

Did anyone mention Explorers club yet? Obvious tribute there.

I've heard Splitsville's Pet Soul, did nothing for me. I think for myself I rather like groups who are inspired by the sound, not trying to be carbon copies. Take Stereolab for example. They don't sound like the Beach Boys a whole lot. However, some songs do bring that influence to the table. This is also probably who too I hated EC's first record, but really like the 2nd one a lot.

I dig it! I've heard of them before but hadnt ever checked them out, thanks for the rec!

Call me crazy. but i'm gonna say Ziggy Stardust. As far as song structure goes. And inventiveness. And uniqueness.

Yes! Pinkerton is massively different to Pet Sounds in many ways but similar in it's honesty and brilliance.

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo

(For evidence, watch the following on youtube: Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters