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Roky Erickson With Okkervil River, ‘True Love Cast Out All Evil’ (Anti-)

As cofounder of the 13th Floor Elevators, the squirmy outfit that helped define American psych-rock, Roky Erickson has lived a life that sounds like an outtake from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In the late ’60s, Erickson was forcibly institutionalized for schizophrenia and treated with electro-convulsive therapy. He’s since recovered, and his latest release (aided by fellow Texans Okkervil River) is wizened and epic, marked by squealing guitars and a deep wistfulness. Like any redemption story, love is at the center — “True love cast out all evil, right now,” he implores — and Erickson’s devotion to purity is as inspiring as it is miraculous.

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