There is a constant tug-of-war between discord and melody found throughout Crocodiles stellar sophomore record, Sleep Forever, and that tension and struggle goes a long way towards making this album so magnetic. The feedback and reverb are ever-present, but layered within that cacophony of sound are some irresistible melodies and downright infectious riffs. Getting that sonic edginess to blend seamlessly with these timeless harmonies can partially be attributed to Crocodiles bringing in producer James Ford, whose moody work with Arctic Monkeys as well as his love of retro anthems present in Last Shadow Puppets certainly colours this album. But the brash confidence and unmistakable adoration of shoegaze shown by both Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez is what ultimately pulses at the heart of Sleep Forever, as the audacious duo from San Diego have crafted eight inspired songs that wear their obvious influences well, but also add something new and unquestionably modern to the continuing litany of fuzz-laden Jesus & Mary Chain disciples.

The album starts with the simmering hum of ‘Mirrors,’ which is quite simply one of the best, most engrossing songs of the year. Once the bassline finally kicks in over the slow-burning, hypnotic keyboards, it’s best to just give in and let the wave of reverb and energy slowly consume you. To be honest, it took a while for me to make it through this whole album simply because I couldn’t stop listening to ‘Mirrors.’ It’s such a beast, and gets the record off to a fantastic start. ‘Stoned To Death’ and ‘Hollow Hollow Eyes’ only build on that momentum, with a psychedelic drone that is infectious and untamed.

‘Girl In Black’ slows things down quite a bit, giving the listener some much needed time to catch their breath, before the slinky echo of lead single ‘Sleep Forever’ kicks in. The multi-tracked vocals just adds to the massive, swirling sound that only builds as the song goes on, complete with a Beach Boys-like breakdown in the middle of the track. Those poppier elements are clearly there buried within the wall of static and fuzz, as the songs draw you in just as much with their enduring melodies as much as they do with their mountain of din.

‘Billy Speed’ is the album’s only misstep, straying too far into BRMC’s well-worn path to maintain much contemporary interest. Thankfully, ‘Hearts Of Love’ gets the record back on track immediately, with a bit of an Animal Collective-meets-My Bloody Valentine sound to it. The refrain takes a while to arrive, but when it does, it’s simply enormous, and is one of the album’s many high points. It’s a soaring, exhilarating track that again creates such a riotous high that a slow comedown is needed, which makes the smoldering kiss-off of ‘All My Hate And My Hexes Are For You’ such a perfect album closer. It’s the slow-fade after the party starts winding down, with your head in a haze wondering what in the hell just happened. What just happened was that, with Sleep Forever, Crocodiles just released one of the best albums of the year. The party has just begun.