TRÄD, GRÄS OCH STENAR

Now this has got to be one of the only times, where I've witnessed the sound production decrease with every release. The first couple of albums spawned by this act, though under a different moniker, were recorded in the 60s, so throwing stones at them for being muddy and fuzzed out during that time, is like accusing a fish for being wet. On this one they had morphed into a new name, which translates into Trees, Grass and Stones. They still sound like they're playing in a bog with home-made amplifiers made out of mosses and bark, and whilst that may be considered a trait if you were one of those up and coming young punk bands from the English suburbs towards the end of the 70s, the feel of this particular album makes this listener think of a doomed drug venture a la Hunter S. Thompson running wild in a Swedish field with a run down mic strapped to his forehead.

It's a a shame really, because during the first two cuts here we are treated to the charming Kraut sensibilities of this band with the somewhat distorted dragging chug rock wafting over you like a regular ghost of bearnaise sauce. The band wades through the open sound planes with a careless attachment to structures and beats, though still maintaining the proper up link to what essentially fuels this kind of music. So what does? Pure sense and feel for the given moment for lack of a better phrase really.

What bugs me about these two "compositions" is that they're not really theirs - even if they do their very best to add that special Swedish Krautrockabillyish delicate swampfolk thang to it. Personally I think it is rather unimaginative, which is a word I use sparingly around these psychedelic Scandinavians. The thing is, that throughout every single step of this band's natural progression, there's been a laissez faire - do whatever you feel like attitude prevailing - yet still firmly rooted in a way of thinking that inspires every other band member to pick up their feet and roll with it, give me some!!.... Satisfaction!!! As much as I try, I feel totally unmoved by this release, and that has (almost) nothing to do with the poor recording techniques wielded, but decisively more to do with the lack of inspiration and mind fuel. Take the Stones cover of Satisfaction for example: This has the feel of a teenage garage band playing at the local high school after one too many Bacardi freezers. Yes they're jamming - making up stuff as they go, - and as much as that is my thing (in fact I openly admit to being a sucker for music based around improvisations), - this effort just falls flat on its face like a dizzy Bambi on telescopic stilts. Bahh!!!

The only redeeming facet of this release, is the interplay happening between the drums, guitar and bass. These are old friends, and you can certainly pick up the odd traces of the band's infancy, and this listener does so with a big fat smirk on his face. Come to think of it, it is the only thing worthy of praise here really. Otherwise the badly produced whimpering pseudo English and Swedish vocal sections along with the feel of total mass retain syndrome in the upper regions of the binary brain functions - also known as brain melt in the studio caused by drunk like a skunk and tripped out squirrel like behaviour - all of these combined amounts to a complete clusterf*ck beyond expression.

I'm being a bit hard on these guys, but quite frankly I only do so, because I have come to expect so much more from a group that single-handedly gave birth to an otherwise completely monopolized German produce, which is the overpowering, earthshaking and shattering, jello-like, fire breathing and totally mind engulfing sonic mistress also known as Krautrock.

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