Evil Friends

AlbumMay 31 / 201312 songs, 48m 34s96%
Indie Rock Indie Pop
Popular

After a number of indie albums, Portugal. The Man gained attention outside of the insular Portland, Ore., indie scene with its first major-label effort, 2011\'s *In the Mountain in the Cloud*. For its follow-up, *Evil Friends*, the band enlisted celebrated producer Brian Burton (a.k.a. Danger Mouse) to lend a distinctive atmospheric touch. Styles range from the breezy psychedelic pop of “Plastic Soldiers” to the wistful folk balladry of \"Sea of Air\" and the title track\'s fuzzed-up garage rock.

6.0 / 10

Seven albums in, the Portland prog-poppers have tidied up their act on Evil Friends, with help from producer Danger Mouse. Portugal. The Man take a surefooted approach here, confidently blasting through their pan-genre Frankensongs.

C

Portugal. The Man has spent a long time refining its brand of breezy, psychedelia-tinged alt-pop, producing at least one album a year from 2006 to 2011. Those albums are consistently fun, but are also frequently forgettable and lodged squarely in the band’s comfort zone. The group took an almost-two-year break between…

3 / 10

An indie album that feels designed by a corporation. Not an evil corporation or anything, not by any means, but one that knows how to target a particular type of music consumer.

8.8 / 10

The collaboration between Portugal. The Man (band) and Danger Mouse (producer) on the Alaska group's eighth full-length…

Check out our album review of Artist's Evil Friends on Rolling Stone.com.

UK-based music magazine bringing you music news, reviews, features, interviews and more

Evil Friends offers ample evidence that the match between Portugal.

6.5 / 10

Portugal. The Man stay true to form on their new album, Evil Friends, with soaring rock anthems, countertenor lines, and atmospherics. And this time around, acclaimed producer Danger Mouse was at the helm.

8 / 10

80 %

Album Reviews: Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends