Albums similar to the middle era Beatles, Pet Sounds and/or Odessey & Oracle

Thorinshield
Thorinshield (1967)

Thorinshield is sometimes labeled a sunshine pop band by collectors, but though they share some traits with Californian sunshine pop artists, they had a more straightforward, less lightweight rock flavor than many acts given that label. On their sole, obscure, self-titled album (from 1968), the influences of the melodic rock and vocal harmonies of the 1966-1967 Beatles are evident, as are some of the ornate orchestration, production trickery, and trippily optimistic-romantic lyrics that were becoming in vogue throughout much pop music by the late '60s. To some degree, the influence of the slicker folk-rock-affiliated Southern Californian artists can be heard as well, along with dashes of baroque melody and instrumentation. It was a reasonably pleasant, good-natured record, and certainly well produced (with vocals that were much less fluffy than the usual sunshine pop), but the material isn't strong enough to hold up with the better artists with whom they share some similarities.The trio comprising Thorinshield was formed by drummer Terry Hand (who had been in the Everpresent Fullness), guitarist James Smith, and bassist Bobby Ray, who'd been a session musician on Donovan's classic 1966 Sunshine Superman album. - Richie Unterberger, AllMusicGuide

Tages
Contrast Released April 1967

Tages were a Swedish rock and roll/psychedelic/folk band formed in the early sixties near Gothenburg.

The band released a number of singles and LPs in their native Sweden to considerable success, making the Swedish Top Ten more than a dozen times. Though remembered as one of the finest non-English speaking bands of the 1960s, they failed to ever really break into the US or UK markets. The Tages also produced one of the worlds first psychedelic albums, named "Extra Extra" in 1966. Then they wanted to create a pop-music that was totally Swedish by learning old Swedish folk-music. After this, they produced their fifth and last album named "Studio" in Abbey Road Studio 1967. The album is very influenced by Swedish folk music and psychedelia. The album is also remembered as the finest album from the sixties, which was from an non-English speaking country. It is also remembered as "The Sgt Pepper Of Sweden", not because it sounds like The Beatles but because it is totally original. In 1968 the band released the very remembered single "Fantasy Island", this was followed up by their last single; "Halcyon Days". Several band members went on to form Blond, a short-lived pop band that released one LP in US before disbanding in 1970.

The Monkees
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Released November 14, 1967 AMG review :

"After wresting control of the Monkees from Don Kirschner and recording the very good Headquarters album as a mostly self-contained unit, the bandmembers returned to using studio musicians to augment their sound as well as looking outside the group for the majority of the songs on their fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Whatever the reason for the decision, the resulting album is one of their best. Filled with hooky pop like "She Hangs Out" and the Harry Nilsson-penned "Cuddly Toy," psychedelic ravers "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector" (both of which feature the newly invented Moog synthesizer), Mike Nesmith-produced rockers ("Love Is Only Sleeping"), and ballads (the lovely "Don't Call on Me"), the album is filler-free and fun-filled. That it contains three of their finest songs ("Words," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and the song that "invented" country-rock for better or for worse, "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?") means that not only is it one of the Monkees' best, it is one of 1967's best. To think that both this album and Headquarters came out the same year! Most bands would be lucky to have two albums this good come out their entire career. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is a must-have for any fan of smart, fun, and exciting '60s pop. It doesn't get much better than this. [Rhino's 1995 reissue of the album adds seven previously unreleased songs including alternate versions of "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector."]"