JEFF the Brotherhood

Just over a year after dropping We Are the Champions, Nashville duo JEFF the Brotherhood try out their new deal with corporate behemoth Warner, delivering Hypnotic Nights (not to be confused with last month's Hypnotic Knights EP, all four songs of which appear here). Despite the heavy-hitting financial backing, the brothers don't really bother to switch anything up ― any of these tracks could have appeared on either of their last two albums. But while the basic premise is the same ― singer/guitarist Jake Orrall's lackadaisical vocals are featured overtop some of the best punk, garage and psychedelic rock tracks going ― the pair's songwriting just keeps getting better. "Sixpack," which chronicles a sticky hot day with brews and buds, is an early standout and undoubtedly a contender for jam of the summer, while "Leave me Out" will do nothing to alleviate comparisons to the slacker '90s brigade. The Orralls have also managed to make their most sonically diverse record to date, with the tender "Reign of Fire" and title track adding some new tricks to their songwriting arsenal. If you've seen these guys over the last few years, you know that their raw and rowdy live show puts their recordings to shame; it's an incongruity the brothers have yet to overcome. However, this record is crawling with too many hooks and good-time jams to quibble over guitar tone.