30 Second Reviews from 4/20

MGMT
Congratulations
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brooklyn super-hipsters don’t make an Oracular Spectacular V. 2, but instead a subtly trendy, psycho beach rock indie masterpiece.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like a totally different band, which is good; “Kids” was getting really old.
FOR FANS OF: Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, B-52’s, Empire of the Sun.

The Fall
Your Future Our Clutter
(Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: Mark E. Smith’s 28th (!) studio release is as punchy and funky as ever, the premier post punk does it without care for your cheeky trends.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Clean up that mess, we’ve got dancin’ to do!
FOR FANS OF: Consistency.

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River
True Love Cast Out All Evil
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: The legendary grizzled crooner teams up with fellow Texans for a full, ambient and complex folk record with Roky’s rusty old pipes out front.
FREE ASSOCIATION: On “John Lawman,” it sounds like he’s gonna have a heart attack.
FOR FANS OF: The Band, Dylan, Howlin’ Wolf, Syd Barrett.

Doves
The Place Between: The Best of Doves
(EMI)
SOUNDS LIKE: A lovely collection of the Brit rockers’ blissed-out pop-rock spanning four LPs of emotional, climactic radio-friendliness.
FREE ASSOCIATION: It’s like the Coldplay we used to love.
FOR FANS OF: Radiohead, The Verve, Badly Drawn Boy.

Jimi Hendrix
Valleys of Neptune
(Legacy)
SOUNDS LIKE: A treasure of posthumous psychedelic guitar rock from the King of the ‘60s with the titular track melting faces and blowing minds
FREE ASSOCIATION: Jimi, why’d you have to go? Would’ve been rad to watch you age.
FOR FANS OF: Electric Ladyland, Noel Redding & Mitch Mitchell, bellbottoms.

Unnatural Helpers
Cracked Love & Other Drugs
(Hardly Art)
SOUNDS LIKE: Seattle rockers’ brilliant collection of 15 songs in under 30 minutes; explosive, caustic, and energetic punk sans screaming.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh yeah, the NW used to rock really hard—please come east now.
FOR FANS OF: King Khan, early Who, Kinks and Clash.

The White Stripes
Under Great White Northern Lights
(Warner Bros)
SOUNDS LIKE: From their 2007 Canadian tour supporting Icky Thump, the Stripes finally capture their outrageous energy and brilliant stage presence on disc.
FREE ASSOCIATION: To see these shows would be like exploding every five minutes.
FOR FANS OF: Bands that actually put on a live show, badassery.

She & Him
Volume Two
(Merge)
SOUNDS LIKE: M. Ward caved and let a half-talented movie princess put his dick in a jar next to stacks upon stacks of her stroll-in-the-park songs.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Her talk-singing is either wildly irritating or delightful—choose sides now.
FOR FANS OF: (500) Days of Summer, Jenny Lewis, LA.