Robyn Hitchcock, I Often Dream of Trains (side A)

The songwriting on 1984's I Often Dream of Trains is of course great.  The arrangements are strange, but end up complementing the songs perfectly.  Nearly the entire album is built around a bright, obviously synthetic electric piano.  The performances and arrangements hint at Hunky Dory-era Bowie, but with the electric piano replacing Rick Wakeman's organic instrument, the sound changes drastically.  The acoustic guitar and vocals, which are often the only other instruments (as Hitchcock plays nearly everything) are mixed to match the weird sounding piano.  The frequency balance is overly present and lacks low-end, but the sound somehow matches the material, and contributes to the timelessness of I Often Dream of Trains.