The biggest pain in the ass about jam bands is that they all classify themselves as unclassifiable. It's a poker-faced proposition, particularly when a band ruthlessly plunders one style to feed another. But here's a hint, folks: That tripping hippie on the dance floor knows the difference. With its debut indie release, Notorious B.A.G. , Brother Bagman borrows from the same "unclassifiable" playbook as many of its improv-oriented compatriots. But the tale of the tape tells a different story. This album has a number of overt and covert influences, with obvious nods going to the Southern-fried style of Widespread Panic and the North Mississippi Allstars. But the disc's most promising cuts, including the blistering bounce of "Treading Water" and "So Mad," feel native to this foursome alone. The group manages to stretch itself without succumbing to an identity crisis on the bluesy shuffle "You" and the expansive soundscape of "I Don't Mind." It's unusual to find a freshman group with this focus, especially when influences too often keep aspiring artists from spreading their own wings -- but these brothers apparently know their bag, man.
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