Ajn Schvajn Draj

Ajn Schvajn Draj (a bastardized Swedish spelling of the first three digits in German, ein zwei drei) marks the return of the '70s Scandinavian space rock outfit par excellence Träd, Gräs och Stenar. This comeback was a difficult one. The group (including three of the four original members) spent five years recording and pondering whether or not it was worth endangering the legend with a new album, but the results are very satisfying. Leaving the freakouts from days of yore to the young generation, Bo Anders Persson and consorts focus instead on the driving pulse of their rhythm section and the acidic blend of the two electric guitars. The album is split between dreamy neo-psychedelic songs and pummeling instrumentals Krautrock style with a touch of acid rock. A tribute to the group's early days can be found in the two-part cover of the Fugs' "Nothing": hearing the four musicians singing "Nothing" (one-word lyric sheet, that's right) accompanied by the clinking glasses of a pub brings a smile to one's face, but those fanciful days are long gone and more serious matters are at hand, like the Can-esque "Ringring," the nicely melancholia "Albatross Meets Lonely Sailor" (beautifully simple guitar solos here), or the slow-burning opener, "Alla Sover." Guitarists Persson and Jakob Sjöholm play with great confidence, especially in the instrumental jams, still the group's strongest point. Welcome back. ~ François Couture, Rovi