Dead Man, Euphoria

Euphoria is an apt title for the sophomore release from Swedish group Dead Man, and proof positive that the resourceful Swedes don’t exist in camps of polar opposites — the poptastic indie rock bubblegum kids versus the hairy, hoary death metal set. The two meet in the middle with Dead Man, forming a striking amalgam of hippie-friendly, sun-drenched ’70s sounds and proto-metal blues riffage.

Folk-inspired strumming abounds, along with a relative abundance of jazzy chord changes, lending an overall relaxed, lawn chair and umbrella drink vibe to the proceedings, like a ’50s-themed poolside cocktail party thrown by ex-stoners. Interrupting the breezy, sunstroked feel, Dead Man interjects plenty of psychedelic effluvia, chord changes darkly reminiscent of The Doors, and some doom-inspired atmospherics. Those moments are themselves fleeting, though, merely adding counterpoint to the overwhelmingly sunny demeanor.

Standout tracks include the Steve Miller-by-way-of-The Band country shimmer of “I Must be Blind” and the spacey flourish and slow, bluesy shuffle of “The Wheel.” The only major complaint, unless you can’t forgive the time-capsule tendencies, is the occasionally irritating tremolo warbling through the vocals. For those interested in the space-time fold between the light and dark sides of stoner songcraft, however, Dead Man give as good a hit as any.