Three years following the release of Beet, Maize & Corn, the High Llamas delivered their Can Cladders in 2007. By this time, Drag City was now handling distribution for the band worldwide.

R&B greats like The Chiffons, La Belle, The Supremes, Minnie Ripperton were the predominant influence on the album, making for the most upbeat record the Llamas had made in years. O’Hagan stated in a 2011 interview that “it was time for a happy record. It was time to bring in a few new voices and it was time to acknowledge the great pop of ’60s American R&B.” 

As noted in press for the album, many of the songs on Can Cladders are character portraits that encompass everyone from a tour manager retiring to Derbyshire to pioneering Jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby. The song named for the latter remains a fan favorite, and was lauded by artists including Tyler, The Creator, who named it his favorite Llamas song and who O’Hagan would later cite as an influence and inspiration on 2024’s Hey Panda. Jeremy Glogan returned to provide the album’s cover art.

Can Cladders was released by Drag City in February 2007. Like it’s predecessor, it received a warm reception; even in more mixed reviews, there was no shortage of praise for the songcraft on display with the Guardian calling the album “as perfect as a band’s eighth album should”. The vinyl edition of Can Cladders was released in a limited quantity, and despite fetching relatively high prices on the second-hand market, has yet to be repressed.