First this L.A. psych-pop quartet returns from a decade between proper LPs on 2010's excellent ; now they hit back with this more baroque rock masterpiece -- even more ambitiously, supremely crafted. The theme of and 's songs, extolling the icy season, might seem puzzling from a place where it's 75 degrees every January -- you'd expect "Winterland" to refer instead to the demolished San Francisco hall of /Last Waltz/ renown -- but those who miss something most, value it most. So in the spirit of Angelinos 's "Christmas Here" from 1984 ( sings a backing vocal here), "Snow Angels of Pigtown" and "Winterland's Gone" feel that ache. Greater than an audacious, interesting concept LP, though, is the beguiling pop-art-psych beauty that fills this wondrous work. References? ' , 's , and lately, . (Also dig legend guesting on a 1974 cover, paying back for playing in his tour band.) Prettier and more opaquely polished than , the group goes for it, adding sweeteners to the '60s-esque stew -- bottomless acoustic guitars, basslines (the standout "Candy Cane"), oldie organs, Mellotron, sleigh bells, and woodwinds -- enriching an album impossible to dismiss once you discover it. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover