Crocodiles' sophomore album,
Sleep Forever, finds them honing in on melodies. With
Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford (who also produced albums by
the Klaxons,
the Arctic Monkeys, and
Peaches) behind the boards, the duo’s music is glossier and more digitized -- yet Ford manages to retain the sense of grit that put them on the noise pop map. With the wall of static dialed back a notch, the songs breathe more, allowing for Welchez and Rowell to construct some of their most immediate material. “Sleep Forever” and “Mirrors” are particularly strong singles, and “Hearts of Love” has a chorus that’s as skull-crushing as bubblegum gets. Lyrically,
Crocs still have a warped, comically dark view of the world. “All My Hate and My Hexes Are for You” seethes like the words from a goth teen’s journal, and picks right up where “I Wanna Kill” and “Summer of Hate” left off. ~ Jason Lymangrover