ST 37

Austin space/psych institution ST 37 celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and follows it up with a double-length state of the union address. Longtime leaders Joel Crutcher (guitar), Lisa Cameron (drums), and Scott Telles (bass/vox), joined by axe wielders Bobby Baker and Matt Turner and electronics gremlin Bob Bechtol, reach a new peak. "KBDP" and a remake of "Grey Area" from Telles' pre-ST band Elegant Doormats dive into a psychedelic sea, riding waves of pedal-damaged guitars and oscillator atmosphere into the deepest trench. The snarling "Boss" and blasting "Hollywood Cemetery," plucked from the obscure catalog of Telles' old Houston hardcore band Vast Majority, hit an opposite note, rocking hard enough to dispel Mary Jane's thickest clouds. "Shadesty" and redos of old standards "Snootle y Choobs," featuring harmonicat Walter Daniel, and "Rooster Feather Paycheck" find the median, balancing black-light tripping with brute force. From wide-eyed chemical pilgrimages to balls-out punk pound, the album sums up ST 37's strengths.