Woodsman

If you like the general idea of jam bands—that is, music you can get lost in—but can't take the endless noodling of jam bands themselves, then Woodsman may be right for you. And no, they aren't a jam band. But the music does have a hypnotic, even narcotic effects.

This self-described “post-psychedelic” act delivers two drummers and two texture guys. Depending on the song, those textures might come from a guitar, a sampler or a voicebox, summoning deep-woods yowls and whoops. And though this sounds like something that would easily go sprawling off into left field, the result is more controlled. Woodsman's songs possess a delicious immediacy without having to reign in these beautifully strange soundscapes.

As a label, post-psychedelia is probably an attempt by the band to distance itself from the long plod of so many self-serious psych bands. Instead of endless ’70s rock riffing or an over-heavy rhythm section, Woodsman’s sound is transparent, almost tidy. This is drug rock more in line with early ’90s Flaming Lips. Multiple tracks on the band’s Rare Forms reference The Lips' 1992 hymnal, Hit to Death in the Future Head. And the dual-drummer approach calls to mind other such successes with that approach, like Liars or even Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis. The two percussionists either converse, trading fills, or converge to sound like a single enormous kit.

The prolific Denver quartet has released five albums on various formats since 2009. The two most recent—2011's Rare Forms and 2010's Mystery Tape— showcase the act's variability. Mystery Tape is a largely instrumental EP that closes with “Smell Like Purple,” a 14-minute monster that wanders without getting lost. The forest is interesting, and so are its trees. —Corbie Hill