You'll Never Walk Alone

Burnt Ones' 2010 debut, Black Teeth & Golden Tongues, displayed the Bay Area band's taste for grinding, Jesus & Mary Chain–styled textures set to reluctant pop melodies. There was even a hint of '60s girl-group sweetness buried in the layers of fuzz and froth. For their follow-up, You'll Never Walk Alone, Burnt Ones get a little trippier; there are more lysergic swirls of guitar, and the grinds occasionally turn into drones. "Glitter Death" could be called "Narco Death," with its drowsy vocals and a thin stream of distortion only releasing its grip at as it nods off after 78 seconds. But livelier tunes—like "Freak in the Fog" and "Web"—show the band's lighter side, with a piano tinkling (almost clearly) on the latter and a surging rhythm section pushing the former with some urgency. The swooping vocals and stomping march of "Fountain of Youth" have a glam-rock heartbeat, while the massive layers of echo and delay on "Cloak" disintegrate gracefully under their own weight. "Move On" brings the party back down, comfortingly, just before the inevitable crash. Everything's gonna be just fine.