Crocodiles’ fourth album, Crimes of Passion, was one of my favorite releases of 2013. Produced by The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, the material on the album meshed sleazy, reckless hedonism and furiously, noisy psychedelia with catchy hooks and an uncanny sense of melody just underneath the surface. After extensively touring to support Crimes, the duo of Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell went to Mexico City to write and record the material that wound up comprising their soon-to-be released fifth album, Boys. 

With Martin Thulin taking over production duties, Welchez and Rowell’s fifth album reveals a subtle refinement of the sound that has brought the duo attention in the first place, as the some of the material draws on elements of traditional Latin rhythms and at points, such as the album’s latest single “Foolin’ Around,” the duo’s sound is not as densely layered as it was on Crimes – and as a result. it manages to sound even trippier than before; in fact, the band builds up a steady motorik groove based around a throbbing bass line, scuzzy guitar lines and a simple yet steady drum beat, paired around lyrics that talk about familiar Crocodiles subjects: getting high, fucking around aimlessly while going to a live show or playing your favorite records and trying to be as cool as possible. And throughout the song, Welchez sings with a fork-tounged, serpentine charm, seducing you towards your eternal damnation – and it’s probably the coolest thing, ever. 

The animated, official video features Welchez and Rowell drawn as grown-up looking Peanuts characters smoking cigarettes and wearing weather jackets playing in a grimy club, in front of a bunch of sleazy weirdos. It’s strangely adorable in the sense of this is what might have happened to Schoeder once he grew up and became a punk rocker..