From a group at the geekier psychedelic end of stoner rock, Dead Meadow’s fifth album is also their most satisfying. Their occasional penchant for the turgid has been supplanted by a lighter approach, and the only muddiness here is that of the countryside to which they pay homage. The opener Ain’t Got Nothing (To Go Wrong) lopes rather than stumbles, while What Needs Must Be nails a clipped guitar riff to a dreamy yet taut arrangement. They even tap a vein of rural funkiness on Keep on Walkin’, owing plenty to Neil Young’s more bucolic moments. Jason Simon remains a better guitarist than singer, but his Anglophile whine proves oddly effective.
(Matador)