OFF: ST 37 review

[K Henderson]

Review from Magnet Magazine (www.magnetmagazine.com)...

I agree...this is a really good album.  Keith H. (FAA)

ST 37: I Love To Talk, If There's Anything To Talk About

As Texas psychedelia continues to proliferate, groups like ST 37 churn out
textured sonic treasures with amazing regularity. On its latest album, the
atmospheric quintet avoids the requisite Krautrock cover tunes and tackles
lengthy
original compositions instead. The one retread taken from its Euro-ambient,
space-age hit factory is the Eno/Cale composition "Lay My Love," which is more
of a melodic little song (nicely done, I might add) than a dronological
magnum opus with hallucinogenic properties. Still, compositions like the
17-minute "Palpable" followed by the nine-minute "Discorporate" show that
the group hasn't forsaken its space-rock roots.  Clearly, ST 37 and its
Austin brethren Seven
Percent Solution (whose member James Adkisson makes an appearance on E-bow)
have studied hard and assimilated their influences properly. I Love To Talk
is an
album filled with subtle dynamics and plenty of cosmic implications.
Whooshing space sounds, tribal drumming and distorted guitars fill these
tracks, and their
spoken/shouted/murmured vocals only add to the underlying urgency of impending
psychic disintegration. The group's dramatic juxtaposition of synthesizers,
studio effects, tapes and floating steel guitars works well, and the
fivesome interacts with obvious empathy and a shared musical vision. I
prefer the band's languid space drones over the uptempo rockers, but that's
just a matter of personal taste. ST 37 succeeds at creating a swirling,
hypnotic environment that should be perfect for your next acid trip.
[Emperor Jones, POB 49771, Austin TX 78765] - Mitch Myers