Skygreen Leopards

West coast psych-folk duo extraordinaire the Skygreen Leopards have done something both logical and unpredictable on their astounding new EP: they’ve about-faced their stripped down acoustic field recording style in favour of rocking out some electric guitar and drums, and holy fuck does it work well. This is probably by no means a permanent turn for the band, whose overarching, multi-project Jewelled Antler Collective is adamantly purist when it comes to droning out free-form folk excursions, but the ’60s throwback rock sound of Jehovah Surrender is a delightful treat for fans of legitimate retro acts like Brian Jonestown Massacre or Strapping Fieldhands. At a mere 19 minutes running length, these six songs whip by like a hallucinatory summer afternoon: the pleasant memories linger long, but the moment ends far too soon. Hot on the heels of their somewhat awkward studio debut for Jagjaguwar, this year’s Life & Love in Sparrow’s Meadow, Jehovah Surrender is a sure indicator that the Skygreen Leopards haven’t passed their prime and still have an abundance of great melodies within them, waiting to be brought out into the open and shared with everyone.