In Brief

** 1/2 Kottonmouth Kings, “High Society,” Capitol. The Kottonmouth Kings are committed to the simple pleasures. For these Orange County hip-hop punks, that means smoking the herb “all day, every day.” This endlessly repeated mantra on the band’s second album may not hold much depth (a misplaced spliff is described with the panic of epic tragedy), but there’s no denying the energy in the layered vocals and sound effects, tapping the legacies of N.W.A, Cypress Hill, Kid Rock and Korn. Wild, complex, and strangely accessible.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.