WL//WH Album Review THE THIRD SOUND
Paris shot by Alain Bib
‘First Light’ is the new fifth long-play by Berlin-based outfit The Third Sound, and the fourth consecutive release on Fuzz Club Records. The album was released last summer on August 27 and I had to deal with it after the summer break, that apparently, I should have had it with me on vacation this year as it will be easily one of my favorite releases in 2021. I missed the ‘First Light’ album during our road trip by car in the lava summer of Greece with friends and tents and booze and all. A very unique record that apart of its ‘opiate’ grooves is also so much directional and wonderfully addictive, especially if you are with good friends who speak the same ‘dialect’ with you.
The band is led by the Icelander musician Hákon Aðalsteinsson, who plays guitar in Brian Jonestown Massacre (and formerly in Singapore Sling too) here as the lead singer and guitarist of the band together with Robin Hughes (guitar/ organ), Andreas Miranda from the German krautrock magnitudes Camera (bass), and Fred Sunesen (drums) they created an utterly gorgeous album in the likes of some really great neo-psychedelic rock music blending with post-punk (of course) and with a real keen on the darker side of rock n roll. Sometimes the album may also flirt with gothic rock in terms of narration and the ‘fog’ around it but absolutely not in the usual gothic rock sonic spectre at all. The first one to appear from the album was “You Love Is Evol” with an official video last June and yeah, let’s drink with the band!!!
If you like what you just listened and watched stay with me for the rest, if not, continue with the article to discover a hell of an amazing release that will probably convince you with the rest of its sins. The second video that came along was “This Is The Only Way I Know” in July pointing to a slightly different motion with a more alternative indie rock-oriented approach by a band that can easily manoeuvre within its own style with confidence, and the song is not a filler but a tune that needs loudness to absorb you in it!!!
On August 11 came “Dissociation” which is the song with the most airplay so far from the album. I’ve played that song on my program too and being honest I first listened to it on another radio station, and it was the first song from the album that really knocked me down for good. What an epic song with an amazing performance by all of them that spans way back to the first mid-tempo garage rock tunes of the age. And the video; an amazing also inspiration by the director with only one shot on the camera with the band playing the jam and, watch carefully, Hákon here in his coolness as if saying the lyrics to the woman sitting nearby looking at him just a little here and there as the whole situation concerns her or not while smoking and sipping her drink. It is one of the most clever footage I’ve ever seen regarding a band that refuses to play the rock star. Very cool, very groove!!!
Now head on to the album and focus on their performing style regarding the genre(s) they play and how they do it all. From track 1 “Tidal Wave” is pretty clear we have something good to listen to and as the record goes on, the adventure reveals many of the band’s rock and roll ‘incidents’ in life. The Third Sound are all skilled players and you won’t need more than a couple of tracks to get it clear, only that these players who could easily play any other music to show it all off chose to walk with sparingness on dirt and crossroads, respect by me in all. Another track I recommend is “Ghost Of Memphis” which is the cinematic desert score of the album, and “Not Even Jesus” with “I Don’t Need Anything Anymore” which are the last songs of that gorgeous album. You know, many times the final tracks are hiding other gems inside them and I bet some of you will get more excited by these two songs. Generally now, the “First Light” new album by The Third Sound hides incredible moments from a band that doesn’t sound anxious to play together. I am dying to see them live because I know these bands most of the time are giving more than they have on stage and I won’t be surprised at all if they stretch it to the fuzz-shoegaze sweat unexpectedly. For now, here is the new album, turn it loud!!!
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The Third Sound
Written by Loud Cities’ Mike
