Freak-folk fans disappointed by the relative accessibility of recent efforts by Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom should check out CocoRosie’s latest. On Grey Oceans, the dedicatedly out-there Casady sisters make no effort to smooth out their prized art-song eccentricities, warbling about the purple kiss of stardust and graveyards in the backyard over wobbly Muzak-rap beats that sound something like the musical equivalent of motion sickness.
For a Sub Pop debut as self-assuredly weird as this one, Grey Oceans has only Wolf Eyes’ Burned Mind for competition. Occasionally, the spooky sonics gather into a shape worth examining, as in the Auto-Tune–enabled “R.I.P. Burn Face,” the avant-cabaret G-funk jam “Lemonade,” and the disarmingly delicate title track. (The first two of those were produced in collaboration with Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio.)
More often, however, CocoRosie appear uninterested in the listener’s experience — and that can make Grey Oceans a bit of a slog. The cost of their commitment is you.
COCOROSIE | Royale, 279 Tremont St, Boston | June 12 at 5:30 pm | 18+ | $22 | boweryboston.com
