Syd Matters Essentials

Led by Jonathan Morali and named in homage to Pink Floyd, this often arty and always gently nuanced French pop-folk outfit will transport you to an idyllic place with their delirious moods and melodies. Morali, an acoustic guitarist who sings in a quietly haunting baritone, has dialed back the electronics somewhat since his group's compelling 2002 debut, A Whisper and a Sigh, which has only made his heavenly choruses, pop poetry, and occasional forays into glimmering psychedelia all the more personal.