In past years, I’ve had peripheral awareness of The Third Sound, but this is the first time I’ve attached myself to a recording for a review. Most Perfect Solitude introduces tonal shifts in sound and new personnel. The band is based in Berlin and is led by Icelandic musician and author Hakon Adalsteinsson. The new line up includes Adalsteinsson (guitar/vocals) and long-time member and collaborator Robin Hughes (organ/guitar) joined by Frankie Broek (drums) and Wim Janssens (bass).
This record is stunning, with widescreen soundscapes and gorgeously rendered melodies. It reminds me of so many of the great psych bands I’ve admired over the years, like Chatham Rise, early Verve circa A Storm in Heaven, and the like. The vocals are swathed in layers of feedback, yet they rise through the mix, steady and slightly ominous.
The opening ‘See You On the Other Side’ channels bits of Anton Newcombe and Tombstones In Their Eyes, paisley bright with its drones and sumptuous melody. ‘On Returning’ follows in similar fashion, cosmic space rock married to downcast vocals, at least it seems so. ‘Don’t Look Back’ has some groovy organ amidst the low rasp of Adalsteinsson’s voice. It has some stellar riffing too that floats over the top of the mix. ‘Veiled’ has more neat organ paired with dialed back sonics that showcase Hakon’s vocals.
’Another Time Another Place’ is catchy and is my pick for best tune in this collection. It offers the aural feast of primo psych pop, but hovers closer to dream pop than full blown shoegaze. ‘Wasteland’ hits a bit harder, with the droning menace of the musical backdrop. The final ‘Departure’ is aptly named and meanders along gently, closing out this great collection of dreamy shoegaze and psych.
