Beyond It All

The energy of this group largely seems to come from frontman Hans Platzgumer, who seems as much a part of the culture of Vienna as a steaming plate of goulash. He is a charismatic, sharp, and rowdy performer, and one of the few from the Austrian rock scene to make much of an impression on the other side of the Alps. The energy comes through, but not much else on this effort recorded in both London and New York City. The song titles in themselves might indicate a sense of what might go wrong when three rock musicians of midline talent decide to jam instrumentally instead of developing interesting songs. "Sometimes I Just Don't Feel Like Talking," sure, but the appeal of this band's music definitely notches way up when Platzgumer opens his mouth. "I Don't Know What's Going On" — well, no comment. This is well-recorded rock-trio stuff with electric guitar, but if looked at as part of the entire historical picture of rock jamming, it would probably be close to invisible. The presence of cellist Tom Cora is slight, a track that lasts a bit more than one minute.