True Love Cast Out All Evil (with Okkervil River)

Bookended by tapes Roky made at the Rusk Maximum Security Prison for the Criminally Insane (with surreal sonic augmentation), True Love Cast Out All Evil takes Erickson’s well-documented demons and shoves them aside for the strongest set of tunes Erickson has recorded in years. With the assistance of Okkervil River, and its leader Will Sheff in the producer’s chair, Erickson makes a solid return that reminds everyone of what they once loved in Roky and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Okkervil River doesn’t attempt to replicate that sound, but instead bring their own version of psychedelia on tunes such as the bright and punchy “Goodbye Sweet Dreams,” the spooky crawl of “Please, Judge” and the distorted magic of Erickson’s classic “John Lawman.” The church piano of “Be and Bring Me Home” is as elegant as the finest Dylan, and Erickson sings with a beautiful finality. “Bring Back the Past” rocks with a solid chunk and the title track feels like it’s been sprinkled with fairy dust. A success from any perspective. The “Deluxe Edition” includes a beautiful take of Erickson’s classic “Sweet Honey Pie” and “For You.”