Free-form jazz is an often alienating art form, with listeners often directed by those critics in the know, and expected to appreciate collections of random squeaks and whistles.
Similarly, there are some psychedelic jam bands that are lauded by an inner circle of scene-setters, and Austin’s ST 37 neatly fit into that category. From the opening sound effects and charmless clatter of Down On Us through to the final banjo-driven chorus of Doppelganger’s Doppelganger, this is an album that will have you questioning whether it contains artistic brilliance or if it was actually something knocked out in a couple of hours. The issue for the band is that far too often the overriding impression is that it’s the latter. Dirty Little Homewrecker hints at Hawkwind, but the music is so directionless that it dissolves into a giddying, distorted mess. Baxty at least demonstrates their potential, with the cover version of In Crowd also being an effervescent, witty take on the original. Damningly though, the half-assed filler of Odd Ass Silence and the similarly pointless title track seem to indicate that they plain ran out of ideas. For a psychedelic jam band, that can never be a promising sign.
