Like many fine bands before them, Crocodiles worship at the twin altars of noise and melody, and while they may tilt more in one direction than another at different times, their music is always hooky, decadent fun. The duo of Charles Rowell and Brandon Welchez hit the ground running, and the band's early albums like 2009's Summer of Hate were fully formed, neon-lit nuggets of garage rock-meets-the Velvet Underground. Future albums may have favored the hooky side of the equation (2013's Crimes of Passion) or tabled the guitars for synths (2016's Dreamless,) but as 2023's Upside Down in Heaven proved once again, their radiant blend of noise and melody never dimmed.