Stream Crocodiles’ ‘Endless Flowers’

May 30, 2012, 11:00am

The opening tracks of Crocodiles’ third record were made to be blasted out of car stereos on the way to a beach party. It’s scuzzy and briny, but with enough muscle to keep it firmly away from the more enervating, cutesy sea scum that has bubbled up in recent years, all the while retaining the key sonic qualities that makes you instantly think BEACH. Why can’t I just go to a fucking beach?!

However as the LP progresses, things get grungier, darker, and this is when it’s interesting to note that the band had to flee their native San Francisco for Berlin to record Endless Flowers. No reason is given for this departure, and who knows—maybe they had the grimier tracks in mind before cementing themselves in the city’s underbelly. Either way, the starker edge is very welcome, pitching things into a murkier realm before slowly growing a little brighter again by the closing songs. A pretty awesome journey, and one that makes you want to repeatedly listen to this as a whole.