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Jul 12, 2013 Issue #46 - June/July 2013 - Charli XCX By Michele Yamamoto

Portugal. The Man stay true to form on their new album, Evil Friends, with soaring rock anthems, countertenor lines, and atmospherics. And this time around, acclaimed producer Danger Mouse was at the helm.

Title track “Evil Friends” begins as an intimate number with just vocals over bells and guitar, but soon it warps into an upbeat noisy rock song with singer John Gourley admitting, “Before you were born, I was already sinning.” The psychedelic “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” features overlapping vocals and melodic bass, which lends the song a strong pulse. And closing track “Smile” is deceptively dark with lines such as, “When I feel fine, I feel good/That’s what happy people do/And how are you?”

The album, which evokes Electric Guest (another Danger Mouse collaborator), boasts a fuller sound than previous albums as well as some strong moments, but does not boast anything as immediately memorable, as previous works have. (www.portugaltheman.com)

Author rating: 6.5/10