The Dodos – No Color

Now that the sun’s out, a quick blast of psychedelic pop all the way from San Francisco is just what the doctor ordered. And lo and behold, here come the Dodos with their fourth LP to oblige. Acoustic guitars twang over persistently rumbling drums as Meric Long and Logan Kroeber's everyman voices bumble away.

Opener Black Night nails the format down – thumping toms and a catchy melody, with a weird splashy bit where the chorus should be, and some snappy snare drum work to follow; When Will You Go floats along on a picked guitar part, those insistent drums in fast pursuit. Like a long afternoon in the sun, the LP loses itself here and there, wandering off to chase the butterflies. More often their rhythm-first approach to songwriting – with occasional echoes of the Beta Band at their lackadaisical best – wins through and captivates as intended. [PJ Meiklem]