Third Of Never: Downrising

Here is a New Jersey outfit I have never heard of before now. The band is Third Of Never and this is an examination of their second release tilted Downrising, released in 2013. The band formed in 2008 with core members:

Jon Dawson (guitars, percussion, keyboards, xylophone, ‘Beefheart’ drums)
CJ Grogan (vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano)
Vince Grogan (bass)
Kurt Reil (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion)

After a while Reil wanted to free himself from the drum kit, allowing him to focus on vocals. Thus Mike Polilli (drums) was added to the mix. Also appearing on the album are guest musicians:

John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick (Hammond organ, keyboards)
Dennis Diken (drums on “On My Way�)

The band play a mix of ‘60s and ‘80s influenced power pop/classic rock in the vein of The Who (‘60s era) and ‘80s alternative stalwarts REM. I have to say the band nail it, making an eclectic and melodic rock album, with nods to the past while still going in a forward direction. The Who angle should come as no surprise since Bundrick played in that band off and on for over three decades. The album’s first track is the short instrumental piece “Phaedra�, delving into space rock territory. There are five shorter pieces in all, allowing the band to experiment beyond the original pop/rock format. It would have been interesting to hear how some of these might have developed into fleshed out songs. The first fully realized track is “Automat� where the band expertly channel ‘60s pop rock with infectious guitar and vocal melodies. “Flare Pt. III� combines a dense guitar soundscape with ‘60s psychedelic undertones, with an exceptionally catchy melody. The jangly guitar chords in “Green Roses� and the infectious punk attitude in “Life Saver� offer more savoury melodies. The hard driving power pop of “Indian� reminds one of ‘80s REM and early Who, melding alternative and ‘60s classic rock in a most delightful way. The album ending bonus track “Yellow House� is much more experimental, a minimalistic noise driven foray into unconventional sounds.

So, there you go. A nice surprise from a band totally off my radar. Fans of ‘60s pop rock and ‘80s alternative rock, in the vein of The Who and REM, should especially take note. In a word, excellent.

Track Listing:
1. Phaedra
2. Automat
3. Flares Pt. I
4. Flares Pt. III
5. Green Roses
6. Life Saver
7. Captain Beefheart’s Bar Mitzvah
8. Indian
9. So Long
10. Dropsonde
11. Man Without A Plan
12. Christmas Lights
13. On My Way
Bonus track:
14. Yellow House

Added: July 15th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 219
Language: english

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