The Life and Times – Skull Map

The Life and Times has lived a thousand lives since their first record more than 12 years ago, after the dissolution of Allen Epley's former band, little guy cult fave Shiner. This 5th full-length album is a sun and drug-dappled beauty, infused with a thick sonic kaleidoscope of tones. More immediate and to the point than previous releases, it's a shorter record than they've made to date and is a nice summary of their thought processes: power and beauty hold the cards ultimately. One doesn't work without the other here. The first song Killing Queens represents this heavy-lidded flowery power. The melodies here feel familiar somehow but without plagiarism or air quotes completely.