QUARTERS !

One of only two 2015 album releases from these psychedelic Aussies, Quarters ! shows a much more organized, cohesive, and diversified jam band than before.

1. "The River" (10:10) almost a Dave Brubeck "Take Five" feel to this one! I love the laid back singing and groove--the way Stu sings following his own guitar note-play. The jazzed-up instrumental section set to its Latin rhythm track in the fourth and fifth minutes is awesome! The emptyied-out passage in the sixth minute is a bit unusual, but I suppose it supplies (in the true jazz sense) a decent segue back to the singing motif. Love the "The River" shouts punctuating the back during the eighth minute before the next descent into quietude--and then the SANTANA-like slow jam to close out the song. Nice job! (18.25/20)

2. "Infinite Rise" (10:10) a little too monotonous with its eight minutes of repetitious two-chord guitar-strum-and- vocal cadence and intermittent animal noises. Could've come from a GRATEFUL DEAD concert jam. (15.75/20)

3. "God Is in the Rhythm" (10:10) recorded as if from the early 1960s--British R&B-influenced rock--something like The Pretty Things or The Yardbirds might've done. It's very interesting as a retro-replicant, but not so much for bringing anything new to the 21st Century (though I do like the Jerry Garcia-like guitar work in the choruses and instrumental interludes). (17.5/20)

4. "Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer" (10:10) The vocals of this gently swaying psychedelic music remind me a little bit of ARCADE FIRE or THE ANNUALS; the feel of the music like some of WEST INDIAN GIRL or PERPLEXA's more sedate stuff. A very pleasant, engaging song for the first five minutes. Then a kind of break occurs before we return to a prolonged instrumental section using pretty much the same pace and rhythms as the first half. Definitely a laid back Australian beach song. (17.75/20)

Total Time 40:40

Hard to believe this is the same band that did I'm in Your Mind Fuzz the year before! Though still a little loose in a GRATEFUL DEAD-like jam-tradition, there are some fine construction and instrumental performances here.

B+/four stars; a wonderfully refreshing journey into retro-psych rock and quite an improvement on their previous year's releases. Highly recommended!

After the success of "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" from 2014 the band decides to put that high energy, sing-a-long styled music aside until 2016 and 2017 and go all mellow on us in 2015. Releasing this album "Quarters!" and "Paper Mache Dream Balloon" where get some easy listening music that is very melodic and light.

I prefer "Paper Mache Dream Balloon" but it's barely 4 stars for me. It is more consistent though as an album while "Quarters!" named so because we get four 10 minute and 10 second tracks therefore "Quarters!" reaches higher because of the song "The River" a concert favourite. In fact it's on a third of the 15 live records shown on the site here by this band. I like this song, just a feel good piece of music, quite laid back and trippy.

It's the other three songs that I have difficulty with to the point of giving this 3 stars. And when I'm not that into a track and it feels like the band is dragging it along to get to that 10 minute and 10 second finish line, well, no this is a 3 star record in my world. But again most prefer this one of the two so take my opinions with a grain of salt.