No Denver band has come as close to perfecting its sound as Snake Rattle Rattle Snake. On the group's latest release, Totem, SRRS builds upon the sinister framework established on 2013's Sineater, adding more melody, urgency and musicality. The rhythm section of bassist Jon Evans and drummer Andrew Warner is so airtight that it's nearly suffocating. Breaths of fresh air are supplied by transcendent synth and guitar flourishes from Doug Spencer and Wilson Helmericks. And Hayley Helmericks continues her vocal onslaught while doubling as a kind of shaman. Totem is no collection of cheap tricks, but rather a carefully crafted bit of magic.
Readers' choice: Falling Faster Than You Can Run, Nathaniel Rateliff