Crocodiles - Summer of Hate

by Andrew Carver

published: 27 / 6 / 2009

Label: Fat Possum
Format: CD

intro

Accomplished murky-sounding psychedelic menace, reminiscent of the likes of the Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3 and Loop, from San Diego-based duo, Crocodiles

With a name like ‘Summer of Hate’, you know the overdriven but still sepulchral organ tones that open the Crocodiles’ debut album won’t last for long. The simple, catchy guitar riff, heavily reverbed vocals and motorik drumming are immediately reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain circa ‘Automatic’ and also of more modern fuzz-pop units like No Age, the Kills, Wavves, Nobunny and Kurt Vile. Choruses like "I want to kill tonight" (on ‘I Wanna Kill’), combined with those warbling keyboards may also remind some listeners of another duo, Suicide, although the singer’s more relaxed attitude toward full-blown psychosis won’t be giving Alan Vega any (more) sleepless nights. Fortunately for both band and listener, while Crocodiles have entered a field crowded with one- and two-person distorto-pop outfits, members Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell have a knack for a good melody and know when to switch between Spaceman 3 style blissed-out drift (‘Here Comes The Sky’, 'Sleeping With The Lord') to more aggressive buzz-punk, such as ‘Refuse Angels’. ‘Summer of Hate’ may be trying a bit hard for an air of murky psychedelic menace in the lyrics department but should appeal to admirers of both the new wave of lo-fi popsters and more old school psychedelic bands like Spacemen 3 and Loop.

Track Listing:-

1 Screaming Chrome
2 I Wanna Kill
3 Soft Skull (In My Room)
4 Here Comes the Sky
5 Refuse Angels
6 Flash of Light
7 Sleeping with the Lord
8 Summer of Hate
9 Young Drugs
10 Neon Jesus

Label Links:-

https://www.youtube.com/user/elpossum
https://plus.google.com/+elpossum
http://fatpossum.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FatPossumRecords
https://twitter.com/FatPossum
https://www.instagram.com/fatpossum/

interviews

Interview (2009)

Crocodiles are a young Californian noise duo, who have recently released their debut album,'Summer of Hate'. Anthony Strutt speaks to guitarist Charles Rowell about the nightmare world he and vocalist Brandon Welchez have envisioned on it