Portugal. The Man "Evil Friends"

 

I was genuinely surprised when I received this in a care package from BKP.  Didn't think it was quite his cup o' tea but knew I was a fan.  Turned out he'd heard a couple of tracks on satellite radio and found it worthy.  If that's not proof this is the band's best record to date, nothing is. 

Can't really add much to the two previous posts on earlier albums, "American Ghetto" and "In the Mountain in the Cloud," except that this one is in collaboration with Danger Mouse, nominated for five Grammys for Producer of the Year with one win.  I'm not a fan of the bands he's in or worked with, but it doesn't take a genius to hear the change/improvement from previous Port.Man albums.  My point is this:  Here it is five months after the album released with four featured tracks so far and the tunes I note as favorites are not among those four.  That's some serious, quality shit...



That's one of my choices for a hit (Thom Yorke's, too), f-ing lyric notwithstanding.  There are a couple other album tracks featured in this Bonnaroo backstage session, if you are interested.  Good stuff.  Found one of the featured four in a KROQ  session...



If the drummer is out of his teens, I'm shocked.  Cute young background singer with Mork's Mindy-look.  Normally, I'm not a fan of an upper-register-Barry-Gibb-like male vocal but I can live with this because the music surrounding it is phenomenal.  I've had this in the player for over a month.  Love it.

Not sure I'd want to see them live, though...