One word describes Crocodiles’ freshman album: Reverb. Actually, make that three words: Reverb done well. This San Diego duo has produced a record that, had it not been for good song lyrics and a more-than-decent grasp of rhythmic composition, could have been an atrocity. The album has nine songs, but my two favorites are “I Wanna Kill” and “Young Drugs.” Though it might seem like it’s a bit of a throwback, the general sound of this album is a mash-up of the reverb-laden tracks of Fischerspooner and early-'80s Smiths-style electro-pop. Organ MIDIs and feedback loops seem to be the meat and potatoes of Crocodiles, and the two band members say that their inspiration for this album was San Diego. If that’s true, then San Diego doesn’t sound like too bad of a place to be. - Chris Gaughan