My Top 2000 Songs #1012: If

British indie pop band The Darling Buds only stuck around for three records, but they were all pretty damn great. And while I especially love the power pop fizz of their 1988 debut, their 1992 swan song Erotica was every bit as vital. In lieu of the boisterous three-chord rockers, they offered a more well-rounded sound, shimmering gloss and gauzy dream pop, yet still full of catchy hooks. Album closer "If"--a bittersweet wrap-up to that brief, wonderful run of records--blended both, quieter vers...