Surfing

No record begs to be taken as a joke quite like one that features its two male protagonists fighting naked on the cover (one is raising a knife, the other is going all kung fu). And Megapuss, the not-quite-supergroup formed by Devendra Banhart and Priestbird drummer Gregory Rogove (with help from others including the Strokes’ Fabrizio Moretti and Noah Georgeson), have all the flavor of a side project with no expectations — and, usually, no structure or songwriting. But this is a supergroup record in the best sense, where all involved pool their talents to write and perform with no constraints and maximum creativity. Banhart sounds much more relaxed than on his last studio record, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, closer to his bewitching four-track days and often including the same sparse accompaniment and pixilated songwriting. Surprisingly, the songs with a full band provide the best moments here, including the breakout chorus of “Theme from Hollywood” and the loose-limbed funk jam “Crop Circle Jerk ’94.” As with most supergroup records, not everything works — the politically critical “A Gun on His Hip and a Rose on His Chest” descends limply into claptrap, and “Duck People Duck Man” is most definitely absurd nonsense from an artist who often does nonsense very well. Surfing definitely won’t end up on many end-of-year lists, but it’s easygoing where Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon was often self-serious, and overall a pleasant diversion for Banhart fans. – John Bush