Produced by The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, Crocodiles fourth effort, Crimes of Passion was one of my favorite releases of 2013 as the album meshed sleazy, reckless hedonism and furiously, noisy psychedelia. After touring to support Crimes of Passion the duo of Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell went to Mexico City to write and record the material that would wind up comprising their forthcoming follow up, Boys. 

Produced by Martin Thulin, the duo’s fifth album, which is slated for an April 28 is reportedly yet another change in  in sonic direction for the band, as the effort draws on elements of traditional Latin rhythms. And although the regional and cultural influences on the album’s first single “Crybaby Demon” may arguably be subtle at best, it does give you a sense of Welchez and Rowell’s relentless experimentation as their sound has become noticeably different. Although they’re still incredibly noisy, the track comes off at weird angles as it’s much more jangling and percussive – in fact, there’s an extremely subtle nod to Latin percussion throughout. And yet, they manage to retain the sleazy, reckless hedonism that first caught my attention.